India to help resolve crisis in South Asia: Kerry

Washington, May 8 (PTI) Asserting that India would be a
key player in resolving the current crisis in South Asia,
Senator John Kerry has said that New Delhi has offered to be
an important part of this effort.

Kerry, Chairman of powerful Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, was talking to reporters at the Congress after his
meeting with the Pak President Asif Ali Zardari and his Afghan
counterpart Hamid Karzai, along with other members of Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.

"Needless to say, many of us believe very deeply that
India is going to be very important to a resolution of the
tensions in the region, and India has offered to be an
important part of a solution. We look forward to following
up on that," Kerry told reporters in response to a question
related to India.

The press conference was jointly addressed by Kerry,
Zardari, Karzai and Richard Lugar, ranking member of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Informing that he was recently in India wherein he met
with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, Kerry in
response to a question on issues related to Indo-Pak tension,
said: "These issues have been raised. There is a good dialogue
going on between the Secretary of State, the President and
...of India with respect to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the
region."

Kerry said the US is waiting for the Indian elections to
be over. "As you know, they're in the next round of their
elections even as we speak here today. They will be counted
(votes), I think, by May 15th. And so we look forward to first
of all getting the elections behind us, and then we will
proceed forward," Kerry said.

Counting of votes in India will take place on May 16.
PTI