WASHINGTON —  Hoping to bridge their countries through an understanding of arts and culture, Laura Bush and Pakistan's first lady, Sehba Musharraf, launched a new Web site Thursday geared toward educating youth.

The site, "The Gift of Indus: The Arts & Culture of Pakistan," was the result of a partnership between the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Pakistan National Council on the Arts.

"One of the best ways the people of Pakistan and the United States can deepen our friendship is for the people of our countries to deepen their knowledge of each others' cultures," Bush told a crowd that included Washington, D.C.-area students at the Kennedy Center.

The Web site is designed for 13- to 18-year-olds in the United States, Pakistan and around the world so they may learn about the arts and culture of Pakistan.