Washington: The United States is both publicly and privately engaged with India and Pakistan to help them normalise their relations, J Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman of the State Department, has said.

Asked whether the US had any suggestions to "maintain the momentum with regard to normalisation" of Indo-Pakistan relations, he said Washington has publicly acknowledged these steps (which they have taken) an the direction that they have, on their own, chosen as in their mutual best interests, and we will continue to do that."

"The Secretary (Colin Powell), I believe, spoke on Sunday (Dec 14) with Foreign Minister Sinha (External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha) of India and the Deputy Secretary (Richard Armitage) spoke with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan (Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri)," he told reporters at the Foreign Press Centre of the State Department yesterday.

PTI