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Wednesday, Jun 6, 2012 10:45 AM UTC

Panetta: US, India must improve ties with Pakistan

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Panetta: US, India must improve ties with PakistanU.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pays tribute at the India Gate war memorial monument, in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, June 6, 2012. Panetta is urging leaders of India to play a more robust role in Afghanistan, as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India's arch-rival, continue to churn. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi)(Credit: Mustafa Quraishi)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is telling an Indian conference that the U.S. and India must work to overcome deep differences with Pakistan to bolster peace and security in South Asia.

Panetta is meeting with Indian leaders Tuesday and Wednesday and says he has urged them to provide additional support to Afghanistan, including trade, reconstruction and assistance for the Afghan security forces.

His visit here comes as U.S. tensions with Pakistan, India’s archrival, continue to fray, strained by persistent CIA drone attacks against insurgents inside Pakistan’s borders. His speech struck a conciliatory tone but also acknowledged the rocky relations with Pakistan.

He said he welcomed steps that India and Pakistan have taken to normalize trade relations as a way to help Pakistan counter extremism within its borders.

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