New Delhi, May 10: The US today said that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee`s peace initiative can possibily lead to a step by step process for India and Pakistan to live as peaceful neighbours.
"I am cautiously optimistic," US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters winding up his day-long confabulations with Indian leaders, including the Prime Minister here.
Armitage said that one would like to see that relations between India and Pakistan improve and Vajpayee`s initiative would lead to such a process. He also said that it would be a long process.
Asked about the problem of cross-border terrorism, Armitage said that cross-border violence was a terrible thing and "all violence must end."
He said in his discussions both in Islamabad and Delhi
the issue was discussed.
About his remarks in Islamabad that President Pervez Musharraf had promised to wind up terrorists camps in Pakistan, he said the fact of the matter was that people were trying to do whatever they could .
The US envoy said that he was told in Pakistan that more than 500 terrorists have been arrested there. Of them six were to have caused great harm to Americans in that country.
However, he said, India was a partner in the global war
against terrorism.
Earlier in the day he also met Yashwant Sinha, Kapil sibal, Sonia Gandhi and L K Advani.
Bureau Report
