US hails Pak, Israeli contact

WASHINGTON—The State Department Thursday described as “postive development” the reported contact by Foreign Ministers of Pakistan and Israel in Istanbul.
Spokesman Sean McCormack told regular Press briefing that “I think that this is a positive development”.
In terms of the arrangements for the meetings, McCormack said: “I’m going to let the two parties speak for themselves”.
To a follow up, the Spokesman said: “In terms of the way ahead in developing a potential relationship between Israel and Pakistan”, and added, “that is for Israel and Pakistan to decide”.
The Bush administration welcomed Israeli-Pakistani talks as a positive development.
Pakistani Foreign Minster Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri met Thursday in Istanbul with his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom, in the highest level such encounter between the two nations.
“This is a positive development,” said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on Friday.
“We have encouraged countries around the world that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel to establish diplomatic relations and to begin building relationships of trust, based on mutual respect and mutual respect for sovereignty and transparency.” Pakistan is seeking to reinforce its close ties with the Bush administration, which has strong relations with India, the Muslim nation’s traditional rival.
President Pervez Musharraf is to address U.S. Jewish groups next month.—Agencies