Pakistan has offered to give emergency assistance to India in the wake of a deadly tsunami that left thousands of people dead on the southern coast of India.

The two countries, long rivals involved in a nuclear arms race, are presently holding peace talks to settle issues such as the territorial dispute about Kashmir, each sides nuclear weapons and the passage of people from one country to the other. The rivalry between predominantly Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan has been ongoing for more than 55 years.

Pakistan opened the peace talks by announcing its sympathy for the Indian people due to the 'massive destruction in southern India caused by earthquake and tidal waves. Pakistan offered assistance in relief and rescue,' said Masood Khan, a spokesman for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

Tsunamis killed more than 20,000 people in Asia after a strong earthquake rocked the ocean off Indonesia. Deaths in southern India have been calculated at more than 3,000 with the toll expected to rise as more bodies are discovered. It is hoped that the offer for aid by Pakistan can be helpful in moving peace talks between the two nations forward.