A fresh approach to peace in India, Pakistan

The leaders of India and Pakistan issued a joint statement following their meeting last week at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and issued a statement that was hailed by many observers as a key step forward in bilateral relations. India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yousaf Raza Gilani, acknowledged  that terrorism was the main threat to both countries, but  agreed on the need to insulate the dialogue process from their ongoing battle against terrorism. Dipankar Banerjee, a retired Indian army general who now heads the Ploughshares-funded Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi said that the commitment by the two nuclear rivals to create space for "back channel or track-two diplomacy" to work is significant.  "It is in the interests of both countries to continue talking to each other and it is certainly in India’s interest to find ways to ensure that Pakistan remains stable and secure," Banerjee said.