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<title>GRAHAM CONGRATULATES INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON DIALOGUE</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>January 6, 2004 <em>(4:55 p.m. EST)</em> No. 1</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>GRAHAM CONGRATULATES INDIA AND PAKISTAN ON DIALOGUE</strong></font></p>
<p>Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham today issued the following statement regarding the meeting between Indian Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, which took place on January 5, 2004, on the
margins of the 12th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Islamabad:</p>
<p>"I welcome the positive development in relations between India and Pakistan as an important step toward finding a peaceful
solution to their outstanding issues. Canada has strongly encouraged a dialogue between the two countries, and I urge them
both to build on the momentum generated by the successful SAARC Summit."</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Isabelle Savard</p>
<p>Director of Communications</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20071123094033/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
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