Washington: India and Pakistan are now moving towards peace after all sides were "sobered" by the prospect of nuclear war, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said.

Speaking at Princeton, New Jersey, on the occasion of George Kennan's centenary birthday, Powell also said the US acting in partnership with others has played a quiet but important role "in this reconciliation between India and Pakistan".

He hoped that the political negotiations between the two neighbours would begin soon and go well and said the US would offer its good offices for the ongoing engagement between India and Pakistan.

Powell said that eighteen months ago, one of the great concerns he had, as Secretary of State was that a war might break out between India and Pakistan, a war that could possibly go nuclear, since both have nuclear capability.

But over the last 18 months, said Powell, "We have seen all sides sobered by that possibility of war and instead they are moving in the other direction.

"President Musharraf has done the right thing now to get firmer control over Pakistan's technological assets. The international web of proliferation that Dr A Q Khan used to traffic with Libya, with Iran, with North Korea is being shut down even as I speak.

"And the Pakistani and Indian leaderships both have now decided 'Let's talk to each other, let's move forward.' We hope they have now turned the corner and are moving down a road toward lasting peace on the subcontinent."