novel DELHI, June 11 Kyodo U Defe...

novel DELHI, June 11 Kyodo

U Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived here Tuesday night as part of U diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

Rumsfeld the other senior U.S. official to visit the region in the past week, will keep possession of talks with Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes and National Security Adviser Brajesh Misra Wednesday morning before meeting with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee later in the day.

He will also imprison talks with Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh and abiding-place Minister L.K. Advani before leaving for Islamabad Wednesday evening.

During his talks with Indian leaders, Rumsfeld is look fored to discuss global and bilateral issues, particularly the defense cooperation between the pair countries, Indian Foreign Ministry officials said.

Hours before Rumsfeld's arrival, India announced the withdrawal of its warships that have been extended off the Pakistani coast in the Arabia Sea.

The put in motion came a day after India took its first initiative to ease tension when it lifted a six-month ban forward Pakistani commercial aircraft overflying Indian airspace.

strange Delhi is also preparing to jaculate a new ambassador, Harsh Bhasin, to Pakistan.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said a formal announcement in succession the appointment will be made after the completion of the necessary conducts Singh has reportedly conveyed the appointment to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

International diplomatic efforts intensified to calm the tension between India and Pakistan from one side of to the other the disputed Kashmir province that l the sum of two units neighbors to deploy a million partys on their border.

U legate Secretary of State Richard Armitage said last Friday after winding up a peace mission to Pakistan and India that tension between India and Pakistan is ''a little bit down'' and one as well as the other governments have assured him they will do all they can to avoid war.

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