Addressing a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart Thomas Klestil after their wide ranging talks on regional and international issues, Narayanan said, "We are willing to resume the dialogue for mutual benefit of India and Pakistan and whole lot of south Asian region."

Narayanan, speaking at a luncheon hosted by Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima, said, "We are committed to the peaceful resolution of all differences through bilateral dialogue with our neighbours and to building mutually beneficial and forward-looking relationships."

The Lahore process that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee initiated with the then Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif received a setback when Pakistani forces violated the line of control (LoC) and mounted an attack in the Kargil sector.

During their nearly half an hour tete-a-tete after Narayanan was formally welcomed by the Austrian president, the two leaders discussed a host of issues.