India conducts new missile test

Armitage held talks with Foreign Minister Sinha

The second test of a short-range air-to-air missile has been carried out by India, hours after United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage concluded a visit to South Asia.

The Astra missile was fired from a test range at Chandipur, in the eastern coastal state of Orissa, following the first test on Friday - just before Mr Armitage arrived in India.

"It is only a developmental test. There is nothing spectacular about it," said an Indian defence spokesman.

Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman, Aziz Ahmed Khan, declined to comment.

Thaw in relations

The testing of the missile, which has a range of 25 to 40 kilometres (15 to 25 miles), follows a comment by Mr Armitage that he is optimistic about the prospects for peace between India and Pakistan.

Speaking after talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, he said he would like to see both countries live in peace and harmony.

Mr Armitage's visit to the region coincided with a dramatic thaw in relations between India and Pakistan - the two nuclear rivals in the subcontinent.

After talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday, Mr Armitage described the rapprochement as an encouraging process.

Correspondents say there has been speculation in South Asia that the United States has been behind the recent improvement in relations between the historic enemies, now both American allies.

In Delhi, Mr Armitage praised Mr Vajpayee's offer of dialogue with Pakistan, describing it as an "act of statesmanship".

"We would like to see two great nations, India and Pakistan, living side-by-side in peace, security and harmony," he said.

Kashmir

The talks followed announcements by both India and Pakistan of a series of steps to defuse tensions, particularly over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

Kashmir remains the bone of contention

But India has turned down a proposal by Pakistan that they should both eliminate their nuclear arsenals.

The two governments have however agreed to restore full diplomatic ties. Pakistan has already approved the appointment of a senior career diplomat, Shiv Shankar Menon, as the new Indian high commissioner.

But Delhi said it would consider other suggestions on closer diplomatic ties only after there was evidence that Pakistan was taking firm action against the infiltration of Islamic militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir from Pakistan.

Mr Armitage's tour of the region - which also took him to Afghanistan on Friday - has prompted speculation that the US might have drawn up peace proposals for Kashmir, rather like its so-called roadmap for the Middle East.

But the US envoy told the BBC he had no such concrete proposals.