WASHINGTON (voa) – U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit India and Pakistan next week in an attempt to cool tensions between the two nuclear rivals.
Mr. Powell says he hopes the trip will help New Delhi and Islamabad resolve the crisis in a peaceful manner. But he says a diplomatic resolution must include an outright condemnation of terrorism of any kind.
The U.S. State Department says Mr. Powell is scheduled to leave Washington January 15. He also will attend a conference of donor countries in Japan to discuss ways of funding the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Mr. Powell met Wednesday in Washington with visiting Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani to discuss New Delhi’s efforts to fight terrorism.
Mr. Advani’s U.S. visit came amid heightened military tension between India and Pakistan, triggered by last month’s deadly terrorist attack on the Indian parliament. Mr. Advani says his meetings with Mr. Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft give him confidence terrorism will be stamped out.
New Delhi blames the attack on parliament on Pakistani-based Islamic militants. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is set to unveil new anti-terrorism initiatives in the next few days.
Since the New Delhi attack, Pakistan has moved against several militant groups suspected of planning and carrying out the deadly assault. But India says it is waiting for Pakistan to take concrete, serious and substantial steps to deal with terrorist groups behind cross-border attacks.
