United States President Bill Clinton has said he is profoundly concerned about the poor state of relations between India and Pakistan, ahead of a visit to India next month.

Mr Clinton 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 them before leaving office.

He said he had not yet decided whether to go to Pakistan, which was the target of American criticism after a military coup last October.

"I want to make a trip which maximises the possibilities not only for constructive partnerships for the United States in the years ahead but even more urgently for peace in that troubled part of the world," he said.

Mr Clinton will be the first US president to visit India in 22 years, after Jimmy Carter's visit in 1978.

Pakistan visit

Pakistan has said it would welcome a visit by the president but would not offer any preconditions to make it possible.

At the same time, Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf has said a decision by Mr Clinton to skip Pakistan would add to the growing tension in the region.

Washington is concerned that a visit to Pakistan might be seen as granting legitimacy to the military regime.

The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says that the US administration is worried about a possible backlash in the US if Mr Clinton meets General Musharraf.

But if he bypasses Islamabad, he could lose whatever influence he has over General Musharraf, while skewing the balance of power in favour of India.

Regional tension

The visit to the region comes at a time of growing world concern over the tension between the two nuclear neighbours.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called on India and Pakistan to narrow their differences over the disputed region of Kashmir.

She said America needed to "view the area as one that we have to deal with in a more proactive way.

"Our policy is to encourage dialogue aimed at narrowing differences and preventing violence, and we intend to remain actively engaged with both countries toward this end," Mrs Albright said.