Addressing a press conference after talks with Musharraf, de Villepin said the president emphasized the importance of stopping cross-border infiltration, pointing out that it would reinforce Pakistan's standing in the international community.

"We have to do all we can to stop infiltration," he quoted Musharraf as saying.

The foreign minister called for a resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, but added such a dialogue could not be imposed on the two countries from outside.

"India and Pakistan have a common interest in resuming dialogue because tension between the two countries is dangerous for the regional and international peace," de Villepin said.

He pointed out that since both Pakistan and India possess nuclear capabilities, they have a specific responsibility to resolve their bilateral conflicts through dialogue.

"In the current global context, there is an extra incentive for Pakistan and India to resolve their differences because in this climate a regional conflict has assumed international importance," he said.

In his opening statement, the foreign minister said his visit to Pakistan is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

He said that at present 5,000 Pakistani students are studying in France and the present government is working on plans to double their number in coming years.

De Villepin arrived in Pakistan earlier Saturday from India for a one-day visit, the second leg of his South Asian tour. It is the career diplomat's first trip to the region since taking over as foreign minister in May.

India and Pakistan have massed about a million troops along their border and along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir since a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in December last year that New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militants.

Tensions escalated further in May after Islamic militants attacked a bus and stormed a nearby army camp in India's only Muslim majority state Jammu and Kashmir, killing over 30 people, mostly wives and children of soldiers.

India accuses Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism in the state though Islamabad denies this, saying it is lending only moral, political and diplomatic support to the Islamic militants waging the separatist war.

Since gaining their independence from British rule in 1947, the two countries have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir.