US welcomes Singh-Gilani meeting

Welcoming the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Maldives on the sidelines of the SAARC summit, the US has said co-operation between the two neighbours is going to benefit the region.

Welcoming the meeting between the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Maldives on the sidelines of the Saarc summit, the US has said co-operation between the two neighbours is going to benefit the region.

"We have said many, many, many times from this podium that we support constructive dialogue between the two countries," state department spokesperson Mark Toner yesterday said at his daily news conference.

"It is to the benefit of the region that these two countries cooperate more closely, both on the economic front but as well as on other issues. We see this as a win-win for the region," Toner said in response to a question about the meeting between the two Prime Ministers.

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday in Maldives.

After the meeting, Singh said, "the time has come to write a new chapter in the history of two countries and the era of accusations and counter-accusations should be behind us."