‘Trump’s Kashmir mediation offer not on table anymore’: India’s US envoy

PTI, Aug 13, 2019, 10:50 AM IST

Washington: US President Donald Trump has made it clear that his offer of mediation on Kashmir was not on the table anymore, a top Indian diplomat said on Monday.

India’s Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, said that America’s decades-old policy on Kashmir has been no mediation but to encourage India and Pakistan to resolve their differences bilaterally.

“President Trump has made it very clear that his offer to mediate on Jammu and Kashmir is dependent on both India and Pakistan accepting it. Since India has not accepted the offer of mediation, he has made it clear that this is not on the table anymore,” Shringla said in an interview to US-based news channel.

On July 22, during his joint media appearance with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House, President Trump stunned India by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought his mediation/arbitration on the Kashmir issue.

India asserted that no such request was made by Prime Minister Modi to the US President and all issues will have to be resolved with Islamabad bilaterally.

A week later, President Trump said he would “certainly intervene” between India and Pakistan on Kashmir if they wanted him to. He said it was up to India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue but he was ready to assist if the two South Asian neighbours wanted him to help in resolving the issue.

India made it clear to America that any discussion on the issue, if at all warranted, will only be with Pakistan and only bilaterally.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the ambassador said, was also very clear on the issue.

“He says, this issue has to be resolved bilaterally between India and Pakistan in keeping with the agreements that the two countries have signed: the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration,” he said.

“So, this is not an issue that is to be settled with, third parties. I think that was something that President Trump clarified and made clear,” Shringla said.

State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus last week said that there is no change in its policy on Kashmir as it called on India and Pakistan to maintain restraint and hold direct dialogue to resolve their differences.