US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo played an “essential role” in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan last week, according to a top State Department official.
Tensions between India and Pakistan flared up after asuicide bomber of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militant group killed 40 CentralReserve Police Force personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14.
India launched a counter-operation in Balakot on February26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 and capturedits pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was handed over to India on Friday.
State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino,during his bi-weekly news conference on Tuesday, said: “Secretary Pompeoled diplomatic engagement directly, and that played an essential role inde-escalating the tensions between the two sides”.
“We continue to urge both sides to continue to takesteps to de-escalate the situation and that includes through directcommunication. We believe strongly that further military activity willexacerbate the situation,” he said.
Pompeo made the diplomatic efforts over phone from Hanoiwhere he was present to attend the North Korea summit with US President DonaldTrump, he said.
“He (Pompeo) spoke with leaders in both countries, andthat included the Indian Minister of External Affairs (Sushma) Swaraj, NationalSecurity Advisor (Ajit) Doval, and Pakistani Foreign Minister (Shah Mehmood)Qureshi,” Palladino said. PTI