New York: Following pronouncements of an end to hostilities between India and Pakistan, neighbouring nuclear powers, the UN Secretary-General, Ant³nio Guterres, said that the organisation stands ready to support efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

According to EMM, the UN chief’s statement, released on Saturday, came shortly after news broke of a decision by the two countries to de-escalate a situation that has caused widespread alarm in recent days.

Tensions had been steadily raising, after a group of gunmen fired on tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April, killing at least 26 and injuring scores more. India and Pakistan both administer parts of the Himalayan region but claim the territory in its entirety, and it has been a scene of unrest for decades.