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The United States has said that Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's commitment to fight terrorism made to President George Bush also implies that he would end cross-border terrorism against India from Pakistan's side.
"President Musharraf directly addressed the question saying that he will fight all forms of terrorism," White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said on Wednesday, when asked specifically whether Bush and Musharraf discussed cross-border terrorism and the list of 20 terrorists wanted by India.
Fleischer said that Bush's 2003 budget proposal includes an additional $200 million that can be used to pay down roughly one billion dollars of Pakistani debt.
"Both leaders discussed additional funding this year to help Pakistan with education assistance, law enforcement assistance and economic development, but without setting a dollar amount," he added.
Meanwhile, United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that he and Musharraf discussed a number of ways to strengthen military-to-military ties between the two countries.
"The defence consultation group has been re-established between Pakistan and the US, with Under Secretary Doug Faith as the US representative," Rumsfeld said.
"Our country and, indeed, the world have a big stake in your country and your part of the world. We wish you well," Rumsfeld told Musharraf.
Asked about the possibility of arms transfer to Pakistan, Rumsfeld said, "The short answer is that we have discussed various types of ways that the United States and Pakistan can go back to our pre-sanction cooperative arrangement, and those discussions are ongoing."
But Fleischer made it clear that military-to-military cooperation does not mean resuming delivery of F-16s.
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