US says its very gratified to see India, Pakistan talking

Washington: The United States has expressed gratification over the just-concluded talks between India and Pakistan.

We are very gratified to see the two sides talking and we look forward to the outcome, the State Departments Deputy Spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters.

When asked about the joint statement at the end of the Indo-Pak talks, Nuland said: I don''''t have anything additional for the moment, but Im sure we can get you some more on our views. But we were just very pleased to see them talking.

The two-day bilateral talks between the Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan --Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir-- were held in Islamabad in a frank and cordial atmosphere, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Both sides reiterated their intention to carry forward the dialogue process in a constructive and purposeful manner. The issues of peace and security, including CBMs, were discussed in a comprehensive manner. Both sides emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue to promote mutual understanding, the statement said.

The Foreign Secretaries noted that both nations recognize that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security, and they reiterated the firm and undiluted commitment of the two countries to fight and eliminate this scourge in all its forms and manifestations.

They agreed on the need to strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism, the statement said.