Indian, Pakistan Prime Ministers Hold Talks In Bhutan

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (right) with his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani in Bhutan today

The prime ministers of India and Pakistan held their first direct talks in months today, raising hopes of a thaw in relations between the two rival nations.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani met on the sidelines of a regional summit in Bhutan.

There were no immediate details on the content of the talks, which lasted more than an hour.

India broke off four-year-long talks with Pakistan soon after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, which it blamed on a Pakistan-based militant group.

India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since their independence from Britain in 1947, are divided over a number of issues, including the disputed region of Kashmir.

Both countries have been under pressure from the United States to resume dialogue as their differences are seen to impact Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism.

compiled from agency reports