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In their first direct contact since the Agra Summit in July, Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar on Saturday spoke to Union External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh to discuss the evolving situation in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks in the US.
During the ten-minute telephonic conversation, they exchanged views about the situation in the region, an external affairs ministry spokesperson said.
Singh asked Sattar to convey to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that India has 'no intention to add to the current complexities that the government and the people of Pakistan are faced with'.
A report from Islamabad quoted Pakistan foreign office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan as saying that the telephonic contact was aimed at easing tensions that have risen in the wake of the terrorist attacks in the US.
Sattar assured Singh that Pakistan was ready to 'fully cooperate' with the world community in combating terrorism and voiced disappointment at the 'barrage of propaganda' emanating from New Delhi.
Asked whether Pakistan has sought India's assistance in any manner, or whether central points of Musharraf's address to the nation earlier this week figured during the talks, the MEA spokesperson said, "I have given an account of what happened. That is our position. I would not like to add to it."
As part of India's consultations following last Tuesday's attacks in the US, Singh spoke to Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
They exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East and also the developments arising out of the events in the US.
Singh conveyed India's hope and expectation that the cessation of hostilities would lead to an early resumption of the stalled West Asia peace process, the spokesperson said.
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