``What we need now is to make a breakthrough in strategic restraint by the two neighbours'' in a nuclearlised South Asia, Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott said, in a video conference with Indian and Pakistani panelists.

Stating that Washington was not in a position to make demands on India and Pakistan on CTBT, Talbott said, ``There has been some progress in that direction. We are pleased to hear that there is an emerging consensus on the issue'', which represented an opportunity to stabilise the region.

Washington, he said, wants New Delhi and Islamabad to join other nations which have conducted nuclear tests, by announcing that they will refrain from producing fissile material pending conclusion of a treaty.

He said both countries should exercise genuine restraint on exportcontrols to prevent nuclear proliferation and also take great care to avert an arms race.

Talbott, who is engaged in a dialogue with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's special emissary Jaswant Singh, said the two countries should consider strategic measures, and a package of prudent constraints on development, flight testing, storage of missiles and also on the basing of nuclear-capable aircraft.

Talbott's observations assume significance, coming a week ahead of the crucial talks with Singh in Rome on November 19. On the visit of president Bill Clinton to South Asia, which has been deferred in view of nuclear tests conducted by India and Pakistan in May, Talbott said although Clinton ``genuinely'' wanted to visit the region, he would not undertake the tour unless he was sure of getting ``fruitful'' results on Washington's concerns.

Asserting that universal adherence to the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) remained Washington's long-term goal, he said, ``I do not think NPT should be amendedto accommodate India and Pakistan.''

During the hour-long interaction, he said US acknowledged India's stand that disarmament should be tackled at the global level. ``US remains committed to the goal of eliminating weapons. It is not just lip service,'' he said.

On the issue of nuclear apartheid, Talbott rejected as ``illogical'' India's stand that the Pokhran nuclear tests would hasten the pace of disarmament.

On India's apprehensions over China conducting tests of inter-continental ballistic missiles, the US official said Washington would keep New Delhi's concerns in mind while conducting parleys with Beijing.

Replying to questions, Talbott said the US would continue to use its offices to impress upon both India and Pakistan, to continue their dialogue on all issues including Jammu and Kashmir, to reduce tension in the region.

To a question by a Pakistani panelist regarding missile tests by India, he said,``These have not gone unnoticed.'' While the Indian panelists were former diplomat K SBajpai, strategic analyst K Subramanyam and journalist Saeed Naqvi; Pakistan was represented by former diplomats Senator M Akram Zaki and Tanvir Ahmad Khan and columnist Lt Gen (retd) Kamal Matinuddin.