ISLAMABAD, Feb 15: Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day official visit amid hopes that the visit would help boost the ongoing Indo-Pakistan peace process.

In his arrival statement, Mr Singh said that during his talks here with President Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, he would reiterate India's commitment to a tension-free, peaceful and cooperative relationship.

The Indian foreign minister made three points in the statement: additional transportation links would be looked at; commerce secretaries of the two countries would hold a meeting in a week with the India-Pakistan Expert Group on Trade in New Delhi to explore economic cooperation; and India was ready to discuss with Pakistan the gas pipeline project subject to satisfaction of its concerns pertaining to security and assured supplies.

Mr Singh indicated that in the coming months several agreements would be signed between the two countries, including a memorandum of understanding on pre-notification of missile flight testing, an agreement on narcotics control and an MoU between coast guards and the Pakistan Maritime Agency.

The Indian foreign minister, who arrived here in the evening from Kabul on board a special aircraft, will start his official engagements with a call on President Musharraf on Wednesday morning. Later, he will meet Prime Minister Aziz.

Mr Singh and Mr Kasuri will then hold formal delegation-level talks at the foreign ministry at which the two sides would discuss all aspects of the composite dialogue and bilateral relations.

Major points of discussion would include Kashmir, peace and security, the gas pipeline project and Kashmir bus service, sources said. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Pakistan would also come under discussion. Pakistan had invited the Indian premier to visit Islamabad in March but there has been no confirmation on this front from New Delhi yet.

According to informed sources, a joint press statement would be issued after formal talks and the two foreign ministers are expected to hold a joint press conference later in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, there is guarded optimism in both the Indian and Pakistani camps about a positive outcome of the meeting between the two foreign ministers. Mr Singh was last here in July for the Saarc foreign ministers meeting. His present visit is the first bilateral visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in more than 15 years.

On arrival at the Chaklala airbase, Mr Singh was received by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan. Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Aziz Ahmed Khan, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shiv Shankar Menon and other foreign ministry officials were also there to welcome him.

The Indian minister's visit comes on the heels of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw's trip to Pakistan and it coincides with the visit to Pakistan by Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Mr Singh is accompanied by Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, Joint Secretary Pakistan Arun Singh and external affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.

PASSPORT CONDITION: Meanwhile, a report in an Indian newspaper said on Tuesday that New Delhi was ready to drop its call for passengers to carry passports on the proposed Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service, adds AFP.

"This was indicated to Islamabad through back channels," The Indian Express reported. But a new stumbling block has emerged to the launch of the bus service, the newspaper said, quoting unnamed sources.

Pakistan now is insisting travel documents bear no 'Government of India' stamp. At the same time, New Delhi says it will not accept any stamp marked 'Government of Azad Kashmir,' referring to the administration of the part of Kashmir under Pakistan's control, the paper reported.