24/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, Chris Patten welcomed the announcement made by New Delhi of measures to facilitate contacts between the peoples of India and Pakistan and the offer made by Vice Prime Minister Advani to meet Mr Ansari, the leader of the Hurriyat moderate faction. He said: this "should give new impetus to the peace initiative taken last April by Prime Minister Vajpayee. I am particularly encouraged by the emphasis on the development of people-to-people links. (…). I hope that they may serve to improve the situation on the ground, and lead to a cessation of violence and the resumption of a genuine dialogue between all parties". Mr Patten is to meet India's Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, in Brussels on Tuesday.