Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] on Tuesday called new Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani over the phone, felicitating him and hoping that India-Pakistan relations can evolve to become the 'best ever'.

Singh, who spoke to Gillani hours after he was sworn in as the Pakistan Prime Minister, also hoped he would build on the initiatives taken by former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto [Images] and Nawaz Sharif and also that of President Pervez Musharraf [Images] to improve bilateral ties.

In a letter to the new Pakistani leader, Singh reaffirmed India's commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation with Pakistan.

"We see a stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan as being in the interest of India and the region," he said.

The Prime Minister also spoke of 'strong' public sentiment in both the countries in favour of accelerating the peace process and establishing a cooperative framework for bilateral relations.

Singh said, "There is a common desire to establish a neighbourhood of peace and progress based on greater linkages between our two people, trust and mutual understanding".

Reaching out to the new dispensation in Islamabad, he said, "Leading personalities of the coalition that will form your government have been strong advocates of friendly ties between our two countries and have made important contributions to the peace process".

He hoped the two countries build upon the progress already achieved and "work expeditiously, through the dialogue process, towards agreed solutions of pending issues".