WASHINGTON, April 21: The State Department said on Monday it was pleased that leaders of India and Pakistan were probing the possibility of resuming talks for resolving their differences.

Referring to a speech by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee last week in which he indicated that India could resume dialogue with Pakistan, a State Department official said: “We saw the speech. We couldn’t agree more with his statement that India and Pakistan should resolve the issues that divide them through talks and we welcome his words.”

The official also welcomed Pakistan’s positive response to Mr Vajpayee’s speech, saying: “It’s certainly good to hear leaders from both sides talking about peaceful settlements.”

“We certainly support actions that involve engagement in discussions,” the official added.