*ISLAMABAD: *Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi wrote a letter to hisIndian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday and congratulated himon assuming charge as the new external affairs minister.

According to diplomatic sources, Qureshi told Jaishankar in the letter thatIslamabad wants talks with New Delhi on all important matters forestablishing peace in the region.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named Jaishankar as India’s externalaffairs minister on May 31 as part of a major cabinet shakeup for hissecond term in office.

He was the top foreign ministry official until his retirement last year.Jaishankar was also an influential adviser to Modi on diplomacy during hisfirst five years in power.

He took over from Sushma Swaraj, the ruling party’s veteran leader and theprevious mostsenior woman in the cabinet. Swaraj underwent a kidney transplant in 2016and has been beset by poor health.

Modi also named his trusted aide Amit Shah to the key home affairs ministry.