NEW DELHI, Nov 13: India is ready to formally discuss President Gen Pervez Musharraf's recent proposals for resolving the Kashmir dispute if they are put on the table by Pakistan, Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh said on Saturday.

Mr Natwar Singh was returning from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's funeral when he was asked aboard his special plane to comment on Gen Musharraf's suggestions on the Kashmir question. He replied: "If a formal proposal is made, we can certainly look at it."

He recalled that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier said in The Hague that "if a proposal is made at an Iftar get-together or through the media, it certainly can't be accepted as a formal proposal".

Mr Natwar Singh was quoted by the United News of India as saying India would hold substantial talks with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in New Delhi on Nov 23.

He ruled out accepting mediation by the United States or any other country in the resolution of the Kashmir issue or any other bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

About a fortnight ago, Gen Musharraf had proposed that the two countries consider making areas of Kashmir independent, placing them under joint Indian-Pakistani control, or putting them under the administration of the United Nations.

Gen Musharraf had also suggested demilitarization as part of his package on Kashmir. India has ordered a troop reduction in Kashmir during the coming winter season.

Reminded that US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage had described Gen Musharraf's formula as 'forward looking', Mr Natwar Singh said: "It is for the Americans to decide but as far as we are concerned, it is a bilateral matter and no third party is involved... any third party mediation will not be acceptable to India. We appreciate their (American) interest but there is no question of any third party getting involved in mediation."

He also saw no role for the United Nations in the resolution of differences between India and Pakistan. "Even Gen Musharraf is not talking now of UN resolutions, self-determination, plebiscite or any unipolar thing on Jammu and Kashmir," he pointed out.

The foreign minister said while Mr Aziz was coming to India as Saarc chairman ahead of the Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit at Dhaka in January, the Indian leadership would have 'substantial' talks with him.

"The composite dialogue is progressing satisfactorily... so far there has been no back-tracking or setback except what the prime minister has stated that President Musharraf must live up to his January 6 announcement that he will not permit his country's territory to be used for terrorist attacks on India or any other country," he said.

Emphasizing that the two countries were making progress in different areas, he noted that official-level meetings were being held on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, Khokhrapar-Munabao train link, reopening of the Indian and Pakistani consulates in Karachi and Mumbai, respectively, nuclear confidence-building measures and the visa regime.

Mr Natwar Singh recollected that Gen Musharraf had last year made an 'objectionable speech' at the UN to which then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had replied.

"This year, the general made a speech which we could accept... there was no verbal exchange. His speech set the tone for the meeting between the two leaders," Mr Natwar Singh said, referring to the talks held between the Indian premier and the Pakistani president on the margins of the General Assembly.