'Stage is set for Kashmir resolution'

Geneva: Observing that confidence building measures with India have improved the "bilateral atmosphere", Pakistan has said the stage has been set for the two countries to move towards resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"Considerable progress has been made through confidence building measures and people-to-people contact

which has reduced tension and improved the bilateral atmosphere," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said.

"The stage has now come for the two countries (Pakistan and India) to move beyond dispute management to dispute resolution. Durable peace and security requires a just settlement of the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he said in an address at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva on Monday.

A lasting solution must be acceptable to all three stakeholders - Pakistan, India and to Kashmiris, he was quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency as saying.

Aziz called for demonstrating courage, determination, flexibility and commitment, saying "we remain ready to do our part."

He referred to several ideas put forward by President Pervez Musharraf, including self-governance and

demilitarisation, which are aimed at taking the process forward. "We will continue to pursue this objective," he said.

Aziz, in his speech also claimed that qualitative transformation has taken place in Pakistan in less than a

decade and has revitalised and repositioned the country as a key player on the international scene.

He said there is a linkage between security and development. Pakistan's policies to ensure internal development have been complimented by efforts to build architecture of security and cooperation in the neighbourhood and beyond.

"This architecture is based on four pillars that includes promoting dialogue aimed at resolving outstanding

disputes and ongoing conflicts that breed terrorism and violence as well as tension between states and maintaining credible deterrence and pursuing strategic restraint to avoid an arms race and preventing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction," he said.

Aziz is Geneva to attend the High-Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).