The meeting in Islamabad will be the first major talks between the South Asian neighbours since Pakistan's new government came to power after defeating allies of President Pervez Musharraf in February elections.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, but they launched a wide-ranging peace dialogue four years ago.

"The Foreign Secretary level review of the Fourth Round of Pakistan-India Composite Dialogue will be held on 20 May 2008 in Islamabad," the ministry said in a statement.

The fourth round of the talks began in March 2007. The Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers will conduct a final review of the progress of that round on May 21, the ministry statement said.

In New Delhi, an Indian foreign ministry statement confirmed that "the External Affairs Minister will be visiting Islamabad on May 21 to hold a review meeting of the Composite Dialogue," but gave no further details.

The dialogue has led to closer political contact and greater transport links, but the two countries' armies have shunned direct contact except for annual discussions on unresolved disputes.

Majority-Hindu India and mainly Muslim Pakistan moved hundreds of thousands of troops to their border in 2002 after Islamic militants attacked the Indian parliament. They later stood down amid international pleas for restraint.

The two countries carried out tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998.

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