13 March 2004	Saturday	21 Muharram 1425

NEW DELHI, March 12: US Secretary of State Colin Powell, ahead of a visit to South Asia next week, heaped praise on India and Pakistan, on Friday, for their far-sighted steps towards resolution of their disputes.

"Two years ago, India and Pakistan were spiralling toward conflict. Now, they are shaping a composite dialogue and expanding bilateral trade and people-to-people ties," Powell told a seminar in a televised message.

"The far sighted steps toward the peaceful resolution of disputes being taken by India and Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf have given fresh hope to the citizens of both countries," he added.

"This is a time when statesmanship, vision and determination can bring about historic change," he said.

Powell will arrive in India on a two-day-visit on Monday evening to hold talks with Vajpayee and other top Indian officials. He is due to later visit Pakistan and Afghanistan during the tour.

"In the coming months, as India and Pakistan work to resolve their differences, the United States will remain a steadfast friend and supporter of the peacemakers on both sides, and we will continue to build strong bilateral ties with each country in its own right," he added.

Powell said that US-India relations were at a high point and voiced confidence that ties would keep warming.

"President George W Bush and Prime Minister Vajpayee have committed our governments to a variety of steps to deepen and expand that strategic partnership, which I look forward to advancing during my trip to the region next week," he said.

"We are working to create an environment that increases economic activity between our countries, including high-tech commerce. We also seek to enhance our collaboration on civilian nuclear cooperation and peaceful uses of space technology.

"We have embarked on a dialogue on strategic stability. And we will further our shared non-proliferation goal of keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists and rogue states," Powell said. -AFP