Islamabad: The United States would do everything to start a process of dialogue between India and Pakistan to discuss all outstanding issues, particularly Kashmir, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said.

"There is a need for a dialogue to take place between Pakistan and India on all outstanding issues between the two nations, specially the issue of Kashmir," Powell told Radio Pakistan in an interview.

"The United States will continue to do everything we can to get a dialogue started," he said, adding Washington has spent enormous time in South Asian region to defuse tension between India and Pakistan.

Powell said he personally spent a lot of time during the past one-and-a-half years working with leaders of both the countries to defuse the crisis that brought them to the point of war last year.

Powel also congratulated leaders of the two countries for recognising the de- mobilisation of troops from the borders and said the US would continue to take keen interest in resolving all disputes between Pakistan and India.

"We have demonstrated clearly and rather forcefully in the last year and a half that matters in that part of the world, in South Asia, are of enormous interest to us," he said in the interview, excerpts of which were carried by the official APP news agency on March 1.

Powell said the US was trying to work with all of its friends in the region, and specially with Pakistan and India in this regard.

PTI