Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] was very frank on his first one-on-one meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the 15^th SAARC meet in Colombo on Saturday.

In the meeting, Dr Singh firmly took up the terrorist attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, the recent violations at the Line of Control [Images] and the increased infiltration of late.

But both the prime ministers expressed determination to overcome the "recent setbacks" and move "back on the track of improved ties".

When the PM raised the the Kabul attack, Gilani said he would conduct an investigation into the attack.

However, he did not specify any timeframe of the proposed probe, nor did he mention about any parameter.  

When Gilani said all political parties in Pakistan preferred improved relationship with India and maintaining a ceasefire, Dr Singh said, "That (maintaining the ceasefire) is indeed the goal of the Indo-Pak peace process.  But recent events have made the progress difficult."

Describing ceasefire as the most important confidence-building measure, the Pakistan PM said his government would do everything to maintain it.     

Foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon described the PMs' encounter as " a candid, open conversation between two people who want to see the way forward".