WASHINGTON, Aug 15: US President Bill Clinton hopes to visit Pakistan, secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, said in a statement commemorating the 50th anniversary of Pakistan's independence from Britain.

Albright, due to visit Pakistan and India in November, said yesterday Clinton hoped to follow her visit with a trip of his own, but she did not give a time-frame for the Presidential visit.

The White House on Monday said Clinton had been invited to India to celebrate its 50th anniversary of Independence and wanted to go. In New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister I K Gujral said Clinton had accepted his invitation to visit during the year-long celebrations of the anniversary.

White House spokesman Mike McCurry yesterday repeated Clinton's desire to travel to South Asia, although he did not specifically mention Pakistan.

Albright quoted Clinton as saying in a message that Washington valued the 50 years of friendship between the two nations, and that the US ``continued to view Pakistan as a key partner in advancing peace and prosperity in South Asia''.

Albright said the US and Pakistan enjoyed strong and growing economic ties, were cooperating on efforts to fight terrorism and drug trafficking, and she expected the relationship to continue improving over the next 50 years.

``I believe we can look forward with confidence to even closer cooperation in the half-century ahead – beginning with my visit to Pakistan later this year, which the President hopes to follow with a visit of his own,'' she said.

Albright will be the first US secretary of state to visit Pakistan and India since George Shultz in 1983.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.