WASHINGTON, April 22: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will begin a visit to South Asia from May 8.

Diplomatic sources say Mr Armitage will first go to Kabul where he is scheduled to hold talks with Afghan leaders on May 7.

On May 8, he moves to Islamabad and the next day flies to New Delhi.

State Department officials told reporters last week that Mr Armitage’s visit was planned at a time when India and Pakistan were once again threatening to go to war over Kashmir.

The officials, however, noted that the situation had improved since then. They said that on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee showed an interest in resuming talks with Pakistan, a gesture which received a strong positive response in Islamabad.

US says during his visit, Mr Armitage will further encourage Indian and Pakistani leaders to peacefully settle all their disputes, including the core issue of Kashmir.

The US has remained engaged in South Asia since early last year when India and Pakistan came close to fighting yet another war following a terrorist attack on the New Delhi parliament building.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who several times in the last 18 months has been forced to personally step in to defuse crises between India and Pakistan, has promised to remain on the pulse of events in South Asia.