Related: Indian PM hosts round table to seek solutions on Kashmir

    NEW DELHI, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday that he looked forward to hearing ideas on the solution of the Kashmir issue from politicians and separatist groups.

    "I have stated on several occasions that I am personally willing to meet and talk to anyone from the state who eschews violence," Singh said while hosting the first ever roundtable conference on Jammu and Kashmir here.

    The conference is being attended by 50 political and ethnic leaders from Indian-controlled Kashmir.

    "You are all the real stakeholders in the future of Kashmir, and it is only through your energetic participation that a new Jammu and Kashmir can truly be built," he told those attending the conference. This roundtable was about sharing ideas, he added.

    Singh said that he was aware that all those who were attending the conference did not think alike. "But I am confident that all of you share my vision and are willing to be part of this effort. We can reconcile our differences if we are guided by this vision," he added.

    Singh said he hoped to build a new Kashmir. "Today, I seek your partnership to construct a new Jammu and Kashmir. A Naya (new) Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, which is symbolized by peace, prosperity and people's power," he said.

    Singh said he hoped that those who kept away from the conference would see the working together was more meaningful.

    Earlier, New Delhi Television reported that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, who is part of the roundtable, said that without the inclusion of all concerned parties including the separatists, no real solution could be found to the Kashmir issue.

    "There has been a setback and the problem is not between us and New Delhi. It is between the separatists and New Delhi and has to be addressed collectively by New Delhi and the separatists," said Abdullah.

    "This is not a law and order issue, it is not an economic issue. It is a political issue and the absence of the separatists is a setback for the Center," he added. Enditem