Discussion on Kashmir Only With Pak, Jaishankar Tells US After Trump Reiterates Mediation Offer

Haunity

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posted on 5 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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On Thursday, Donald Trump raked up the mediation issue again, saying that it is up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute and that he was ready to assist if the two South Asian neighbours wanted his help.

New Delhi: Even as US President Donald Trump reiterated that he is ready to offer assistance to India and Pakistan in solving the Kashmir dispute, Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar Friday conveyed to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that any discussion on Kashmir will only be with Pakistan, bilaterally.

The foreign minister met with his US counterpart in Bangkok on Friday and held wide ranging discussions on regional issues, after which he tweeted that he has conveyed India's unaltered stand on Kashmir to Pompeo.

Have conveyed to American counterpart @SecPompeo this morning in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally.— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 2, 2019

Jaishankar is in the Thai capital to attend a number of conferences, including the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the 26th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting.

On Thursday, Trump said that it is up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute and that he was ready to assist if the two South Asian neighbours wanted his help in resolving the decades-old issue.

"It's really up to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi (to accept the offer of mediation)," Trump told reporters responding to a question on India not accepting his offer of mediation on Kashmir.

"I think they are fantastic people Khan and Modi -- I mean. I would imagine they could get along very well, but if they wanted somebody to intervene, to help them and I spoke with Pakistan about that and I spoke frankly in (sic) India about it," Trump said.

When asked how would he "want to resolve the Kashmir issue", Trump said, "If I can, if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene."

Last week, in his joint media appearance with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in his Oval Office, Trump stunned India by saying that Prime Minister Modi sought his mediation/arbitration on the Kashmir issue.

Trump said the Indian Prime Minister asked for this during their bilateral meeting in Japan in June on the sideline of the G-20 Summit.

India quickly denied it and said the Kashmir issue was never discussed between Modi and Trump.