WASHINGTON - India and Pakistan must work ‘directly’ through the problems on the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region to end tensions, the State Department said on Friday. "We very much value the progress the two countries have made on the economic side, on the visa side, on the trade side. And we‘ll hate to see that jeopardised because it is in the interest of India and Pakistan and all of us who care about that region,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said, while renewing Washington’s emphasis on dialogue to address the situation arising from exchange of fire at the LoC.  The spokesperson was replying to a question about the US role in addressing the south Asian tensions over cross-LoC exchange of fire and the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that he is not ready for business as usual with Pakistan, while Islamabad had proposed talks with New Delhi at the level of foreign ministers. “We think the best way to work through issues on the Line of Control is for India and Pakistan to work through directly. They are in direct talks now and we welcome it,” Nuland added.