India donated 20 million dollars to the United Nations for flood relief in Pakistan, news reports said Saturday, reported dpa.
India hiked its initial offer of 5 million dollars to 25 million dollars in August soon after a hesitant Pakistan said it would accept the aid but wanted it routed through UN agencies.
The two nations have a history of difficult relations and have gone to war three times since independence from Britain in 1947.
Relations hit a low after Islamist militants attacked Mumbai in November 2008, killing 166 people. India accused Pakistan's security agencies of assisting the attackers.
The two sides resumed formal talks, stalled after the Mumbai attack, earlier in 2010, but made little headway.
Hardeep Puri, India's permanent representative to the UN, gave the 20-million-dollar cheque to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York Friday for the Pakistan Emergency Response plan, IANS news agency reported.
Pakistan's permanent representative to the UN, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, was also present.
"Natural disasters do not respect national boundaries. This is a small but significant gesture from the highest levels of the Indian government conveying the message that the people of India stand by the people of Pakistan in their hour of need," Puri said.
India has already contributed 5 million dollars to the World Food Programme for its relief efforts in Pakistan.