US President George W. Bush on Wednesday designated Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally, which makes it easier for Pakistan to acquire US arms.

"I hereby designate the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a majornon-NATO ally of the United States for the purposes of the act andthe Arms Export Control Act," Bush said in a statement released bythe White House.

The announcement was regarded as a reward to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf for supporting the US-led war on terrorism.

The status of major non-NATO ally will make Pakistan have an easier access to advanced US military hardware and loans of military supplies for research and development projects.

Currently major non-NATO allies of the United States include Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand.

Source: Xinhua