AGRA, India — The leaders of India and Pakistan agreed to hold a second day of one-on-one talks here today and to meet again at a follow-up summit in Pakistan, raising hopes that the nuclear enemies may be set to begin a serious search for peace.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf were expected to meet alone Sunday for only about 15 minutes, unhindered by Cabinet ministers and officials.
They ended up talking for more than 90 minutes, and then met privately again for about an hour Sunday night, after the Pakistani president and his wife, Sehba, toured the Taj Mahal, a symbol of undying love since the 17th century. The leaders met a third time later Sunday night, along with their delegations.
During the visit to the marble mausoleum, built by Muslim Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan out of devotion to his dead wife, Musharraf said the summit's first full day had been "fruitful."
"The talks were held in a very cordial, frank and constructive manner," according to a brief statement from India's Foreign Ministry, which Pakistani officials approved.
The two nations' foreign ministers met late into the night trying to agree on the text of a joint declaration that met Pakistan's demand for a solution to the Kashmir conflict while addressing India's claims that Pakistan supports "cross-border terrorism."
But amid surprisingly upbeat signals from the talks, Pakistani officials cautioned that it was still too early to say whether Vajpayee and Musharraf would even agree to hold a joint news conference at the end of the summit today, let alone agree on specific steps toward lasting peace.
Officials Meet Late Into Night
A decision on the joint appearance still hadn't been made by the time the two leaders ended Sunday night's meetings, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said. But officials from both delegations met late into the night.
During 54 years of hostility, three wars and 49 summits, Indians and Pakistanis have seen agreements come and go while the key disputes--such as rival claims over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir--remain unresolved.
For a second day in a row, Indian and Pakistani forces on Sunday exchanged small-arms fire at several sites across a cease-fire line in Kashmir. No injuries were reported along the Line of Control, which was created by the 1972 Simla Agreement, one of several past summit accords that have failed to bring peace.
