By Krittivas Mukherjee and Bryson Hull - REUTERS

VILLINGILI ISLAND, Maldives (Reuters) - The prime ministers of India and Pakistan said on Thursday that their next round of talks should further improve ties between the two countries.

Lasting peace between the nuclear-armed foes is seen as key to stability in the South Asian region and to helping a troubled transition in Afghanistan as NATO-led combat forces plan their military withdrawal from that country in 2014.

"The next round of talks will be more positive, more constructive and will open a new chapter in the history of both countries,"Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani told reporters after an almost hour-long discussion with his Indian counterpart,Manmohan Singh, on the sidelines of a meeting of South Asian leaders in the Maldives.

India and Pakistan resumed a peace dialogue this year which was derailed after a militant attack in the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.

Progress has been slow, but ties appeared to warm last week after Pakistan said it would grant India most-favored nation status for trade.

The two leaders last met in March at an international cricket match in India.

Source:  http://tinyurl.com/76hcuss

(Reporting by Krittivas Mukherjee and Bryson Hull; Writing by Nick Macfie)