Bush, Blair discuss India and Pakistan tensions

CRAWFORD, Texas (CNN) -- President Bush, still on vacation at his Texas ranch, spoke with British Prime Minister Tony Blair Wednesday afternoon about the continued tensions between India and Pakistan.

Scott McClellan, White House deputy press secretary, said the call was part of the "ongoing discussions about ways our two nations can work together to reduce tensions in the area."

Bush and Blair also spoke about the prime minister's upcoming trip to the region, McClellan said.

The two leaders last talked about the situation in Southeast Asia Saturday, when Bush also called Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. He encouraged the leaders to take steps to reduce tensions and pull back from the brink of war.

The Bush administration voiced some optimism that this week's economic summit in Kathmandu, Nepal, might help ease tensions between the two nations. The session, which leaders of India and Pakistan are attending, could be help the nations "seek ways to make progress towards resolving their differences," McClellan said.

Monday, during a visit to a Crawford coffee shop, Bush praised Musharraf for "cracking down hard" on suspected terrorists. The president also said he told Vajpayee that he sympathized with the Indian leader after the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in December. He also stressed to Vajpayee that Bush hoped both countries were not headed toward war.

The president received his daily intelligence and national security briefings in the morning and planned to spend the day clearing brush on his ranch.

Condoleezza Rice, Bush's national security adviser, joined Bush at the ranch Wednesday.