Islamabad, Oct 3, SPA -- India and Pakistan on Mondaysigned a deal requiring them to notify each other of plansfor ballistic missile tests, a key step in the peaceprocess between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Indian External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and hisPakistani counterpart, Khursheed Kasuri, announced theagreement after talks that they described as cordial andconstructive. The groundwork for the deal was laid in talksin the Indian capital of New Delhi last month. "The agreement entails that both countries provide eachother advance notification of flight tests that it intendsto undertake of any surface-to-surface ballistic missile,"the Indian side said in a statement. "India has now handed over a draft memorandum ofunderstanding on measures to reduce the risks of accidentalor unauthorized use of nuclear weapons under the control ofboth countries," the Associated Press quoted the statement as saying. India did not elaborate on the draft document, butofficials have said they plan to set up a hotline to reducethe possibility of a misunderstanding that could lead tonuclear conflict. Singh and Kasuri did not sign the missile test agreement,leaving that task to top officials in their ministries. Instead, they discussed ways to strengthen the fledglingpeace process between India and Pakistan, which have foughtthree wars since independence from British rule in 1947."The talks went off in a very cordial atmosphere," Kasuri said. Singh said the talks were "good." Singh was likely to meet Pakistani President Gen. PervezMusharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday, andrevive a joint commission for promoting economiccooperation and other contacts. Singh will also travel tothe southern port city of Karachi to meet business leaders.He returns to India on Wednesday1123 Local Time 0823 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/293833