India, Pakistan both to benefit from improved relationship: US

WASHINGTON: Encouraged by the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, the US has said both of the two South Asian neighbours stand to benefit from practical cooperation and an improved relationship.

"We certainly were encouraged that they decided to resume dialogue and obviously believe that both India and Pakistan stand to benefit from practical cooperation and an improved relationship, which I think would be good for regional peace and stability in South Asia," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said yesterday.

She was responding to the recent Islamabad visit of India's Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar as part of "SAARC yatra".

"We certainly welcomed the visit. I'd leave that to them to speak to. But in general, obviously, we think cooperation is a good thing," Harf added.

Resuming talks after a hiatus of seven months, Jaishankar visited Pakistan on March 3 as part of his SAARC yatra and held talks with his counterpart Aizaz Chaudhary during which he conveyed the expectations of the Indian leadership on SAARC and the determination to forge a cooperative relationship with all the neighbours.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) - an economic and geopolitical grouping of eight countries located in South Asia - includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as its members.