ISLAMABAD, Nov 25: US Secretary of State Colin Powell in a telephonic conversation with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri on Tuesday welcomed the recent announcement by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to implement a unilateral ceasefire along the Line of Control.

He also appreciated the general approach taken by Pakistan towards the promotion of confidence building measures between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Kasuri told Colin Powell that durable peace in South Asia could only be ensured by initiating a composite and meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.

The two foreign ministers also discussed the situation in Afghanistan.

The secretary of state conveyed his best wishes and regards to President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

CHINA: China has welcomed Pakistan’s peace initiative including declaring ceasefire on the Line of Control for normalization of its relations with India.

“We appreciate these steps and hope these would lead towards settlement of their bilateral disputes including the issue of Kashmir,” said a spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Office Liu Jianchao.

The spokesman told reporters at a weekly news briefing here on Tuesday that the Chinese government considers Pakistan’s peace initiatives as an encouraging move for the development of its good neighbourly relations with India. This, he added, would also serve the purpose of peace and development in the region.—APP