India, Pak not destined to live as adversaries forever: envoy

New Delhi, May 18 (PTI) Terming resumption of Indo-Pak
dialogue process as a significant development, Pakistan High
Commissioner Shahid Malik Tuesday said the interaction will
help bridge the trust deficit between the two countries which
are not destined to live as "adversaries forever".
Observing that as developing countries both India and
Pakistan share common perspective on a number of issues, he
said in the fast changing global environment, there was a need
to consult and co-ordinate efforts to achieve the goal of
peace and development.
"..Towards the achievement of this goal... we held a
very fruitful discussion recently in Bhutan in Thimpu. It was
agreed to resume the dialogue process and that is a
significant development," Malik said.
"...The agreed road map in Thimpu will see the Home
Minister of India visiting Pakistan along with the Foreign
Secretary later next month followed by visit of the Foreign
minister of India to Pakistan on July 15," he said at the
Indo-Pak business meet, also attended by India's Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Malik also hoped that the visits and the interaction
between the leaders of two countries that will follow will
help bridge the trust deficit and generate enabling
environment to take the peace process forward.
"We can remain convinced that Pakistan and India are
not destined to live as adversaries forever," he said.
The Pakistani envoy also complimented Mukherjee,
saying, "I would like to pay tribute and compliment the
efforts put in by the present Finance Minister and formerly
the Foreign Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee."
Asked how his country was planning to tackle terror,
Malik said that both sides have agreed that they must do it
together and there has to be cooperation to eliminate the
menace. PTI