London, August 02: Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari want to make possible “a lessening of tensions” after the Mumbai attacks, British premier Gordon Brown has said, expressing willingness to do everything he can to help the two countries build better ties.
“I have a very strong affinity with the region. I’m particularly friendly for many years with prime minister Singh in India,” Brown told Garavi Gujarat, a Gujarati-English bilingual weekly and its sister publication Eastern Eye.
Describing prime minister Singh as “a very good friend”, he said “I count him as one of the great leaders” and it has been a privilege to work with him.
“I know that he (Singh) and President Zardari want to make possible a lessening of tensions after the Mumbai bombings. I get on well with president Zardari, prime minister(Yousuf Raza) Gilani and the head of the Army as well and we want to help Pakistan take difficult decision they are taking on terrorism,” the British PM said.
Asked whether Britain has a role to play in reducing the Indo-Pak tensions, Brown said “we will do everything we can to
build better relationships.”
–PTI