US seeks Pak, India closer ties

WASHINGTON—The United States has said it is transforming its relations with both Pakistan and India and maintains close ties with each South Asian nation.
“We are also transforming our relations with both India and Pakistan. We have good relations with each country and we are tackling challenges in the region and beyond,” Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said.
Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute on the subject of ‘The Asia of 2012, he said the US has made noteworthy progress in the region over the past several years, in particular, by decreasing the risks of conflict within Asia.
In this context, Negroponte referred to the Kashmir dispute and recalled that the US “worked to prevent war between India and Pakistan in 2001, and we have helped to reduce tensions in the years that followed.” The senior US official said managing established problems like these has been a result of patient, traditional diplomacy. “More broadly, however, the goal of our diplomacy is to help lead our Asian allies and friends towards a confident.—Agencies