Islamabad, Nov 9, SPA -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of StateRichard Armitage told Pakistani officials on Tuesday thatWashington wants closer ties with the Muslim nation, officials said. Armitage, the first senior American official to visit theSouth Asian country since last week's U.S. presidentialelection, held talks with President Gen. Pervez Musharrafand other officials on counter terrorism, efforts to rebuildAfghanistan and Iraq, and Pakistan's relations with India,the Foreign Ministry said. Armitage, who arrived Monday for a two-day visit, told thePakistani officials that America "would not only maintaincontinuity in its policy toward Pakistan" but was lookingat speeding their interaction, a ministry official told TheAssociated Press. A ministry statement said Armitage also briefed Pakistaniofficials about the U.S. assessment of emerging trends inthe Middle East and the security situation in Iraq. Armitage also met with Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuriand was to hold talks later Tuesday with Prime MinisterShaukat Aziz. Earlier, Riaz Khokhar, the top bureaucrat in the ForeignMinistry, briefed Armitage on progress in the peacedialogue between India and Pakistan. Armitage expressed satisfaction over efforts by thetraditional rivals to improve ties, the ministry statementsaid. Armitage was accompanied by U.S. Assistant Secretary ofState for South Asia Christina Rocca.--SPA1258 Local Time 0958 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/216289