American ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter Thursday appreciating the assessment of Pak-US relations by the parliament of Pakistan hoped that it will begin a period of new era between the two countries in 2012.

He was talking to newsmen here after inaugurating four day international conference on "Archaeology and Cultural heritage in Pakistan and Adjacent regions" , organized by American Institute of Pakistan Studies in collaboration with the US embassy and the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration.

The American ambassador while commenting on the Pak-US relations and the assessment process by the parliament, said,

"My understanding is that they are coming to the end of this assessment and this will begin a period where American and Pakistani leaders will be in touch with each other about this and all kinds of other questions how we do with each other constructively, openly, honestly."

He said, "I hope it will be a very positive way in 2012 and the time will tell how that will work."

The American ambassador said, "We respect and welcome the assessment of (Pak-US relations), the Pakistani parliament is carrying out and it looks its relations with the United States."

"We know that there are lot of issues especially from 2011 that need to be discussed and once again we believe that careful discussion is taking place," the ambassador said.

The ambassador was of the view that it will be open dialogue that the United States hope to have with Pakistan in future.

He said, "An honest dialogue, a firm dialogue where the interest and the values of both countries are clear and step forward is need of hour."

The ambassador said in this sense United States looks forward in 2012 to building on the assessment being carried out by the

Pakistan Parliament to have further kind of cooperation, the realistic cooperation, careful, open and honest cooperation of two partners, like Pakistan and America should have.

On the question of negotiation with Taliban in Qatar, the ambassador said, "No specific meeting taking place in Qatar".

He said, "We are both committed, Pakistan and the United States to a peaceful, successful, prosperous Afghanistan."

The ambassador said, "We are committed to working together to try to achieve those goals in accordance with the outlines of

Secretary Clinton's speech in last spring that was about our cooperation together and our cooperation with regional partners, to make sure that the establishment that will reach in Afghanistan is satisfactory to every one in the region."

Ambassador Munter said there is commitment among the senior level of leadership of two countries that will work out in 2012.

"I am confident we share these goals for a success in Afghanistan and working with Afghan friends and we are confident to  have success in the days to come," said the Ambassador.

On the issue of resuming NATO supply, the Ambassador said for those kind of specific questions, "we can have to leave it to the Pakistani authorities who are reviewing the parliamentary assessment."

Earlier, inaugurating the four day international conference, the American ambassador said this kind of event help define the relationship between Pakistan and United States.

He said it will be helpful to understand that US respects Pakistani culture and heritage.

The ambassador said, "The amount of American technical expertise, Pakistani talent and knowledge can work together to preserve the cultural moments."

He said, "We can see this in long run as the real way and the real relationship between Pakistan and United States and we can make it that we and our children would have same understanding of common past and the task we can have in the future to preserve the national heritage so that Pak-US cooperation in the region could be built and last for very long time."

The ambassador said the American embassy has been providing assistance and cooperation for the exchange of scholars and experts in archaeology and to preserve national heritage.

He said 17 projects including shrines, both at federal and provincial levels were completed during 2011 for the preservation of different architectural and heritage monuments in Pakistan with the help and cooperation from United States.

Appreciating the presence of experts from Untied States, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India in the conference, the ambassador said, "Its the time to build every type of contact we have in the region."

Secretary Ministry National Heritage and Integration Farid Ullah Khan, President of American Institute of Pakistani Heritage Kamran Azhar Ali and other scholars also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of more cooperation with in the region through archeology and heritage links.

The conference would bring together leading archaeologists and museum specialists from Pakistan and the United States, Afghanistan and India to discuss their most current research and develop future collaborative projects.