It will take time for India, Pak to overcome trust deficit: US

Lalit K Jha
Washington, May 25 (PTI) The US has voiced support for a
pledge by leaders of India and Pakistan to work to improve
bilateral ties, but said that overcoming the trust deficit
between the two countries would be a time-consuming job.
State Department spokesman P J Crowley said that
"notwithstanding a trust deficit" there is a pledge between
the leaders of the two South Asian rivals "to work very
earnestly to improve relations".
"We, the United States, certainly support that," he
said in response to a question at his daily press conference.
"As we've said many times, it will take time to overcome
that (trust deficit), but certainly mutual commitment to
high-level dialogue is a step in the right direction," Crowley
said.
Earlier, he said that Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs Bill Burns met a wide range of senior
Indian officials in New Delhi.
Prominent among them were India's Foreign Secretary
Nirupama Rao, National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh
Ahluwalia.
"His discussions have centred on the upcoming June 1
through 4 US-India strategic dialogue," he said. PTI