Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to strengthen friendship and co-operation with Pakistan in a letter on Saturday to his newly appointed counterpart in Islamabad, the foreign ministry said.
Singh, who has himself only been in office for just over three months, said he hoped nuclear-ready rivals India and Pakistan could move forward the peace process which they began in earnest in March.
"It is my sincere hope that we can build upon recent positive developments and take forward the process of dialogue, in an atmosphere free from terrorism and violence," Singh told new Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, who sworn in on Saturday.
"I would like to reaffirm my government's commitment to strengthening friendship and co-operation with Pakistan," he said.
"In the recent past, our people have once again shown their strong desire for peace and harmony between our two countries, and to have the opportunity for good neighbourly and co-operative relations."
Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf are expected to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
"I attach great importance to trade and economic ties between India and Pakistan and look forward to your co-operation in addressing the common challenges of poverty alleviation in our region, so that our people can look forward to a future free of want," Singh told Aziz in the letter.
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