October 30, 2002	Wednesday	Sha’aban 23,1423

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NEW DELHI, Oct 29: With India and Pakistan demobilizing troops along their contentious border, they should resume dialogue on economic and cultural ties, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

Richard N. Haass, the US State Department’s director of policy planning, said better ties between India and Pakistan should not be stymied by their dispute over Kashmir.

Mr Haass called for greater economic and transportation links, renewed cultural and sports contacts and parliamentary exchanges, which would increase people-to-people contacts.

He said any dialogue between the two countries, who were on the brink of war earlier this year, should first try to set “achievable goals.”

“The situation is not ripe for India and Pakistan to solve all their problems in one fell swoop,” he said in a briefing at the residence of US Ambassador Robert D. Blackwill.

Haass, slated to hold talks with Pakistani officials on Wednesday, said he would press US concerns about the continuing movement of militants into India.—APP