NEW YORK - Two Leading US senators Sunday backed President-elect Barack Obama's proposal for appointing a high-level US envoy for resolving outstanding problems between India and tensions, including Kashmir. Senator Richard Lugar, ranking Republican on the influential Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, underscored the need for moving rapidly to ease the current tensions between the two South Asian neighbours in the wake of terrorist attacks on Mumbai. In an interview with Time magazine ahead of his election as president on November 4 election, Obama, who will be sworn-in on January 20, said he might consider appointing former President Bill Clinton as special envoy on Jammu and Kashmir in an effort resolve Indo-Pakistan problems, including the decades-old Kashmir dispute. "I'm confident that there is a good opportunity at this point for the Indians and the Pakistanis to understand that this group that probably caused this could cause harm to both of them," Sen.Lugar told ABC's news programme: This Week. "But I think that the suggestion just made that President-elect Obama send a very high-level person to the situation underlines the need for diplomacy on our part, diplomacy now as well as diplomacy in the Obama administration," the senator, who has sponsored a legislation on $ 15 billion socio-economic assistance for Pakistan over a decade, said. Asked specifically about the idea of a high-level US negotiator, also welcomed by Pakistan's ambassador Husain Haqqani in the same programme, he stated: "Well, I would think that might be a good idea, something -- because, it appears to me, that we have an interlocking situation of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India." Elaborating Lugar noted that "the Indians are sometimes accused by the Pakistanis of wanting to get involved in Afghanistan" and Pakistanis are accused of "sending people to the border." He also hinted at temptations in India to ratchet up rhetoric ahead of the Indian elections in May, saying "the Indians, given the election coming up in May, trying to show that they're aggressive, can move right away." "We're going to have to move very rapidly ourselves, the United States of America, to make certain that our forces in Afghanistan, quite apart from whatever we're doing in Iraq, are protected, while the rest of this goes on, with two very high-level countries... "G)iven Kashmir, given the fact that the dissident group that probably caused the attack arose from the Kashmir controversy with India, to begin with, there's a history, here. And as you have witnessed on your programme, the Indian people are disgusted with their own government. The Pakistanis have a new president, Zardari, who is not in great shape. "And so our presence there is going to be very important." Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who serves on the Armed Services Committee, also supported the idea of a high-level negotiator saying "if there's a strong indication, on both sides, that they're moving together, and that we can play a productive role, yes." "But I think you have to have the building blocks in place. I hope we can get those building blocks in place. And I would think, going forward, unless we include Pakistan-India, in a deliberate way, in our diplomacy, we won't be able to, as Senator Lugar suggested, effectively protect our forces and carry out our mission in Afghanistan." Questioned if a saw a conflict in President-elect Obama having perhaps President Clinton serve as a mediator between India and Pakistan over Kashmir (in view of Senator Hillary Clinton serving as Secretary of State), and whether the former president's appoint is likely, Reed replied: "No, I think it's entirely likely. And I don't think there will be a conflict. And I think also, in terms of specific assignment, that, to your question, George, what more can be done? Well, in that context, there might be some arrangements that should be disclosed, some additional self-imposed restrictions that the president would take. But in the context of a specific mission from President Obama, I think that's where these judgments could be made. "I think he would be a superb addition to our international diplomacy." Senator Lugar concurred with the idea of former president Clinton as envoy on India and Pakistan, saying "Yes, I think he could do a great job there. And for that matter, in lots of places.But, as I say, this is an unprecedented situation historically.