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Dialogue Is Only Way to Solve Indo-Pakistan Issues: US Official
Visiting United States Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina B. Rocca said Tuesday in New Delhi that dialogue was the only way to solve the issues dividing the India and Pakistan.
"Dialogue is the only way to solve the issues dividing these two countries and end over 50 years of enmity," Rocca said at a meeting organized by Confederation of Indian Industry.
On recent Indo-Pakistan summit, the U.S. official said it was important to keep this meeting in perspective though the two sides did not reach agreement on a final joint statement.
"The two sides were grappling with very difficult issues that have divided them for over 50 years. Yet the serious and constructive atmosphere of these talks tell me that both sides are committed to resolving their differences," said Rocca, who arrived here on Monday for a two-day visit.
Rocca held wide-ranging discussions on Monday with Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh on further improvement of bilateral relations and the Indo-Pakistan summit.
Rocca's visit, the first to South Asia since she took charge eight weeks back, is part of high-level contacts between the two countries for the past 18 months.
Terming Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's acceptance of invitation by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to visit Islamabad for further discussions as a positive step, Rocca said Washington strongly supported this kind of sustained senior-level engagement between the two countries.
On Indo-U.S. relations, Rocca said the Bush Administration was committed to strengthening and intensifying relations with India.
The past few years had seen the beginning of a transformation in U.S. ties with India, she said, adding that it was no secret that United States had increased its level of engagement with the South Asian country.
Non-proliferation, she said, remained an important goal of the U.S. policy and Washington wanted to expand and transform its engagement on defense issues, she added.
On U.S. sanctions against India following its nuclear tests in May 1998, the U.S. official said review on the sanctions policy was underway and getting beyond sanctions would do much to deepen the bilateral relationship.
India is the first stop for Rocca's South Asian tour, which will also take her to Nepal and Pakistan.
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