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UN chief welcomes PM's bus ride

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has welcomed the establishment of direct bus service between New Delhi and Lahore as a way to ease tensions between India and Pakistan.

In a statement yesterday, Annan said he particularly welcomed the decision by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to cross the border by bus today to hold peace talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief.

''The secretary-general hopes that Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan will contribute to the improvement of bilateral relations,'' Annan spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement.

UNI

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