Moscow: The situation in South Asia with special focus on India's peace overtures to Pakistan came up for discussion between External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and US Secretary of State Colin Powell on May 14.

During their first face-to-face meeting after India and Pakistan made the peace overtures, Sinha is believed to have underlined the need for Islamabad to stop cross-border terrorism and dismantle terrorist infrastructure to create a conducive climate for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue.

Both Sinha and Powell, who met in Moscow's Grand Marriott hotel, are on bilateral visits to Russia.

Their meeting was fixed as a "matter of convenience" to discuss a wide range of regional, bilateral and international issues, Indian Ambassador to Moscow Krishnan Raghunath told reporters before the meeting.

The issue of sending Indian military contingent to join US-led Iraq stabilisation force was also on Powell's agenda at talks with Sinha, diplomatic sources said.

During his recent India visit, US Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage is reported to have conveyed US request for dispatching Indian military contingent to Iraq.

PTI