NEW DELHI, Sept 30: The United States on Friday indicated it would closely watch Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh’s visit to Pakistan starting Sunday following a telephonic conversation between US President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

Mr Natwar Singh’s visit is expected to boost bilateral ties. But, official sources said, with improved visa facilities and easier consular access for their prisoners on the cards, the real issue to watch would be the public position both countries take on the Iran gas pipeline and Tehran’s nuclear quest.

During the 10-minute conversation initiated by the US side, President Bush and Prime Minister Singh “reviewed the implementation of the July 18 Indo-US joint statement and other bilateral issues and touched on developments in the region,” the prime minister’s media adviser Sanjay Barua said in a statement.

Diplomatic sources term the telephone call significant as it came two days before Mr Natwar Singh meets Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri in Islamabad.

The US is believed to have supported a proposal for India to cut troops in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, as sought by Pakistan. But agreement on the matter seems to have been stymied by the leakage of locations from where Islamabad has asked New Delhi to move out troops.

Mr Natwar Singh is also likely to prepare the grounds for a visit to Pakistan by the Indian prime minister, possibly soon after the Dhaka Saarc summit.

Since the Indian foreign minister will be visiting Pakistan in the wake of a major policy backtracking by New Delhi over Iran’s nuclear quest, ostensibly under American pressure, the issue of the trilateral gas pipeline will naturally take centre-stage.

What Mr Natwar Singh in Pakistan says will be heard with interest, not the least by President Bush, diplomatic sources said.

At the bilateral level, Mr Natwar Singh’s visit is expected to see India and Pakistan sign agreements on pre-notification of missile tests and setting up of a communication link between maritime forces. These would be part of a slew of confidence-building measures during the four-day visit.

Reports said India was keen to push for signing of an extradition treaty and mutual legal assistance treaty during the talks Mr Natwar Singh would have with Mr Kasuri.

Indian allegations of cross-border terrorism and infiltration, dismantling of terror infrastructure will be raised. India is also likely to press for liberalization of visa regime, trade through land route and transit facility for goods.

The timeframe for consular access to prisoners will be made available within three months and the list of prisoners will be exchanged by the two countries twice a year — Jan 1 and July 1, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters after a meeting of the cabinet committee on security presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Anwar Iqbal adds from Washington: Giving details about the Bush-Manmohan telephonic conversation, White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said: “[T]hey discussed India, US-India relations, regional developments and issues and plans for implementing the July 18 US-India joint communiqué.”

Under the July 18 communiqué, agreed upon during the Indian prime minister’s visit to Washington, the US will provide India with civilian nuclear reactors and some hi-tech equipment. The agreement has still to be ratified by the US Congress.

The expected formal signing of agreements between Islamabad and New Delhi on pre-notification of missile tests and establishment of a communication link between the Indian Coast Guard and Pakistan’s Maritime Security Agency follow defence secretary-level talks held in New Delhi recently.

Transit facility is particularly important for India because of its ever-expanding trade with Afghanistan. The only land route to Afghanistan from India goes through Pakistan.

Islamabad, however, has made it clear that granting such an access to India can only be discussed as part of the ongoing composite dialogue and not as a separate issue.

Agencies add: Mr Mukherjee also said that visa rules would be relaxed for Pakistani nationals coming to India for medical treatment. Besides this, a 1974 bilateral accord would be amended during Mr Natwar Singh’s talks to facilitate visits by pilgrims to shrines in India and Pakistan.