Setting the tone for his meeting with Pervez Musharraf in New York later this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf would see that the peace process between the two countries was irreversible.

He said infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir was already on the decline and expressed hope that India and Pakistan would work to realise a clear vision of prosperity.

Singh said the initiatives taken by his United Progressive Alliance government to strengthen the peace process with Pakistan were irreversible.

"Our relations with Pakistan are improving. Both President Musharraf and I have committed our countries to do all that is in our power to make the peace process irreversible," he said.
 
Singh said he was happy that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders had agreed for talks with the Centre, which would help in strengthening the peace process.

He said relations with the US, China and Russia could also be improved. He said India could work out an arrangement with the United States to end 34 years of "nuclear apartheid" which denied the country the benefit of dual-use technology.

Affirming that the UPA government was committed to combining reforms with human face, Singh said special attention had been paid to ensure the welfare of the poor and the needy while giving a push to the economic growth.

Singh said the Indian economy was growing at the rate of seven percent and the government had taken the lead to
accelerate the growth to eight per cent or more. In another 10 years, the country could get rid of poverty by achieving 10 percent growth, he added.

"We are reformers but we are cautious reformers. We will not neglect welfare of the people," he said.

Noting the valuable contribution of Non Resident Indians in maintaining the country's balance of payment position, the prime minister said the Centre was looking into including more countries for granting dual citizenship for people