WASHINGTON, Oct 22: The United States on Wednesday welcomed India’s proposals to normalize relations with Pakistan.

The moves “represent a major step toward establishing normal links between these two important neighbours and for providing a foundation for real progress in resolving differences between India and Pakistan,” said Adam Ereli, a US State Department spokesman.

“We warmly welcome these proposals,” he said.

The proposals, announced by Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha after a cabinet meeting in New Delhi, included a ferry service from Bombay to Karachi and a direct bus service between the Indian and Pakistani zones of divided Kashmir.

India could further increase its diplomatic presence in Islamabad if Pakistan accepted the offers, Sinha said, adding that New Delhi also proposed a second round of talks on air links fractured by months of war tensions last year.—AFP