Any discussion on Kashmir, will only be with Pakistan, bilaterally: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday made itclear to his American counterpart Mike Pompeo that any discussion on Kashmir,if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally, daysafter US President Donald Trump offered to mediate on the vexed issue.

Jaishankar is in the Thailand capital to attend a number ofconferences, including the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, the 9th East AsiaSummit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 26th ASEAN Regional Forum and the 10thMekong Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting.

   

“Held wide ranging discussions with @SecPompeo onregional issues,” Jaishankar tweeted.

“Have conveyed to American counterpart @SecPompeo thismorning in clear terms that any discussion on Kashmir, if at all warranted,will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally,” he tweeted.

He met US Secretary of State Pompeo on the sidelines of thesecond day of 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meet in Bangkok. This wasthe first official meeting between the two top officials after PresidentTrump’s controversial comments on him offering to mediate between India andPakistan over the Kashmir issue.

Last month, President Trump offered to be the”mediator” between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue when hemet Prime Minister Imran Khan for the first time at the White House.

The Indian government, however, dismissed President Trump’sclaim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate.

Pakistan Prime Minister Khan has said that he is ready andwelcomed such a move by the US on the Kashmir issue.

Trump claimed that Modi and he discussed the issue ofKashmir in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in June, where theIndian prime minister made an offer of a third-party arbitration on Kashmir.

In Parliament, EAM Jaishankar had said that all outstandingissues between India and Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally and PrimeMinister Modi made no request to President Trump to mediate on the Kashmirissue with Pakistan.

“Any engagement with Pakistan will require end to crossborder terrorism,” he had said, adding Simla and Lahore accords providethe basis for resolution of all issues bilaterally.

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