Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz says trust between India and Pakistan is key to solving outstanding issues between the two neighbors. 

"Confidence building measures play a significant role in paving the way for a resolution of outstanding issues between the two countries," the prime minister said in a written interview with China Daily before his visit to China. Aziz arrived in Beijing late Tuesday.

"The two countries have agreed to continue the confidence building measures and the dialogue process to resolve all bilateral issues including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir," the prime minister said referring to his first visit to India as Pakistani prime minister at the end of November.

"Pakistan has always welcomed any confidence building measure that could bring an improvement in the human rights situation in Kashmir," Aziz said.

He said that India had also agreed that possible options for a peaceful and negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue should be explored in a sincere spirit and purposeful manner.

"The challenge remains to find solutions with popular support as this is the only way to resolve the Kashmir issue and achieve regional peace and security," the prime minister said.

Pakistan, Aziz said, is committed to peace in South Asia and will continue to advance the process of dialogue to resolve the Kashmir dispute.

During the interview, the prime minister expressed his belief that Pakistan and India can have healthy and sustainable ties.

In Islamabad, Pakistani and Indian officials yesterday launched two-day talks on how to avoid an accidental nuclear war between them, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

The talks are the second time since June that the two sides have met to discuss their nuclear weapons. Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Masood Khan told reporters the two sides were discussing "new safeguards to avoid any accidental nuclear war" -- including giving advance notification of missile tests.

(China Daily December 15, 2004)