Thursday, February 17 2005 09:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington/London: Welcoming the India-Pakistan agreement to launch the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad across the divided Kashmir from April 7, the United States has said it is a "significant and historic" breakthrough.

"The agreement between India and Pakistan to allow civilian travel across the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir is a significant and historic breakthrough," a State Department official said.

"It offers an opportunity for more extensive people-to-people contact, improving daily life and promoting broad cooperation. The agreement, once implemented, would bring immediate benefit to ordinary Kashmiris," the official said.

"The United States hopes that India and Pakistan are able to make further progress in their negotiations. We will continue to encourage the efforts of our two friends to find common ground and resolve their long-standing differences."

Britain has also warmly welcomed the agreement between India and Pakistan to start the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and hoped the spirit of cooperation will lead to many more measures that will benefit all in the region.

In a statement, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw hoped that the agreement would make a real difference to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC.

"I am very pleased that this bus link between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad will be able to reunite families that have been divided for decades. This will make a real differences to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the LoC," Straw said.

"I warmly applaud the efforts of both India and Pakistan to make this happen. This spirit of cooperation will, I hope, lead to many more measures that will benefit all in the region," he said.