Clinton is said to be taking keen personal interest in the engagement between India and Pakistan given his own impending trip to the region some time this year.

The White House also had its own reading on the issues between the two countries. Clinton said the two leaders were committed to intensifying their efforts on key matters including: containing their competition in nuclear arms; preventing nuclear or conventional conflict between them; resolving territorial disputes including Jammu and Kashmir; refraining from interference in each others internal affairs;fighting terrorism; promoting political freedom and human rights; and working together to improve the lives of their citizens through economic growth.

Clinton said South Asia, and indeed the entire world, will benefit if India and Pakistan promptly turn these commitments into concrete progress.

Russian response

MOSCOW: Albeit delayed, the Russian media has welcomed the results of the Lahore summit, as `positive in many terms'. The agreements reached between the two prime ministers was aimed at improving the strategic situation in South Asia, it said. Leading daily Izvestia and other papers reasoned that `historically, the results of the Lahore meet are no less important than that of the Simla summit of 1972.