Kashmir peace talks to begin next month

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said today talks with India over the divided region of Kashmir would start next month.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said today talks with India over the divided region of Kashmir would start next month.

General Musharraf, on an official visit to Turkey, said officials were still working out at what level the talks would be held.

"We are in contact with each other to work on the level of the first dialogue that we ought to have, which will be in February," he said.

The talks follow a breakthrough meeting this month between President Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in a move to improve ties less than two years after the nuclear rivals came close to war over Kashmir.

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Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani is also due to meet Indian Kashmir's leading moderate separatists in New Delhi tomorrow as part of efforts to end a 14-year rebellion that has killed more than 40,000 people.

India and Pakistan resumed cross-border train services last week after a two-year freeze and are talking about opening more transport links, including a bus service between the two capitals of Indian and Pakistani Kashmir.