SOFIA, June 3: The US ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, called on Monday for “cooler heads” to take a lead in calming the crisis between Pakistan and India.

“It is a matter of great international concern at the moment and certainly, speaking for the United States, we hope that cooler heads will prevail on both sides,” he told reporters in Sofia, Bulgaria. He expressed hope that Pakistan would “take steps to restrain infiltration across the line of control in Kashmir” and that the Indian government would “allow time for the various diplomatic efforts that are being taken at the moment to defuse the situation”.

Negroponte was speaking after talks with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi, whose country is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.—AFP