President Bill Clinton has said he's profoundly concerned about the poor state of relations between India and Pakistan.

Speaking ahead of a trip to India next month, he said the conflict between the two nuclear powers had enormous implications for the whole world and he hoped he would be able to help ease relations between the neighbouring countries before leaving office.

Mr Clinton said he hasn't yet decided whether to go to Pakistan, which was the target of American criticism after a military coup last October.

A BBC correspondent in Washington says Mr Clinton is wary of being seen to confer legitimacy on the military regime, but if he doesn't visit Pakistan, he might lose an opportunity to influence the country's leadership.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service