Keen on normalising ties with India, Pak tells US

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has acknowledged Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's "personal role in efforts to normalise relations with India" and hoped these moves would bear fruit in the near future.

Clinton made the remarks during a meeting with Gilani late Sunday evening, said a statement issued by the Pakistan prime minister's office.

Gilani said Pakistan wants "good neighbourly relations with India" and would like both sides to "address all issues and disputes between them peacefully".

The comments of the two leaders came days after the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan failed to make headway in talks held in Islamabad on July 15. The two ministers have engaged in a war of words since the talks ended in deadlock.

During his interaction with Clinton, Gilani said the discussions in different sectors as part of the Pakistan-US Strategic Dialogue had prepared the grounds for taking the bilateral relationship beyond the war on terror and American aid provided under the Kerry-Lugar Act.

Gilani said that he was hopeful the fifth round of the Strategic Dialogue, set to co-chaired by Clinton and Foreign Minister S M Qureshi will lead to greater US assistance and cooperation for building water reservoirs, enhancing power generation capacity and addressing the root causes of terrorism like illiteracy, poverty and under-development.

The

premier reiterated his invitation to US President Barack Obama to visit Pakistan in the near future, saying such a visit will boost democratic forces in the country, strengthen bilateral relations and create a positive image of the US among the Pakistani people.

Public diplomacy is vital for removing misperceptions on both sides and building higher trust between the two sides, he said.

Gilani also urged the US to enhance assistance for building the capacity of Pakistan's law enforcement agencies and step up intelligence-sharing for the campaign to root out terrorism.

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, Gilani said his government attaches great importance to its relations with the neighbouring country and "considers peace and stability in Afghanistan contingent upon a peaceful and secured Pakistan".

Clinton said she saluted the Pakistan government's resolve to fight terrorism and that the US administration is "fully appreciative of the extraordinary sacrifices made by Pakistan in its war".

Image: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Pakistan's PM Yusuf Raza Gilani at the prime minister's residence in Islamabad on July 18.
Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters