New Delhi:
India and Pakistan are at very serious odds over Kashmir right now, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, adding that he would do “whatever he can” to settle the issue between the two countries.
President Trump also said he has had “very productive conversations” with the leaders of India and Pakistan on the margins of UN General Assembly. “With respect to Pakistan and India, we talked about Kashmir. Whatever help I can be, I said, I offered, whether it’s arbitration or mediation or whatever it has to be,” he said at a news conference.
“You look at the two gentlemen heading those two countries … two good friends of mine. I said, fellows work it out, just work it out. Those are two nuclear countries, got to work it out . “
President Trump has repeatedly offered to mediate between India and Pakistan, an offer that New Delhi has firmly rejected every time, reasserting its stand that it is a bilateral issue that needs no third party intervention. On Tuesday, the fourth offer at mediation came hours before he met PM Modi for bilateral talks in New York, the fourth meeting between the two leaders after PM Modi won a second term.
“I think as far as Pakistan is concerned, India, they’re talking, I’m certainly willing to help. I think they would in a certain way like my help. But they’ve to both want it. They have very different views and I’m concerned about it, “Mr Trump said on Tuesdayafter he met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of UN General Assembly. The first offer of arbitration on Kashmir also came when he was addressing the media along with Imran Khan in July.
Later, during the meeting with PM Modi, Mr Trump “encouraged him to improve ties with Pakistan and fulfil his promise to better the lives of the Kashmiri people, “the White House said in a statement
On the arbitration offer, India responded curtly, saying its position – that there can be no third-party mediation – is known.
“There is no change in that position”, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said this morning, responding to Mr Trump’s latest remarks. “I think it has been articulated by Prime Minister earlier. It was articulated yesterday by the foreign secretary so that position remains,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
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