Washington: The United States supports constructive engagement between India and Pakistan; however, the nature of the talks is for the two countries to decide, said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price in response to a media query on the Kashmir issue.
On being asked about the recent claims of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who said that if his party comes to power, the autonomy issue on Kashmir will be his first priority, Price during a press briefing on Tuesday said that the US supports a constructive engagement.
“United States supports a constructive engagement between India and Pakistan but the nature of such talks is for the two countries to decide,’ said Ned Price.
Earlier on Monday, in response to a question regarding Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s call for talks with India and New Delhi’s response to the offer, he stated, “We have long called for regional stability in South Asia. That’s certainly what we want to see. We want to see it advanced.”
“When it comes to our partnership, our partnerships with India and Pakistan, these are relationships that stand on their own. We do not see these relationships as zero-sum. They stand on their own,” he added.
Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for “serious and sincere talks” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve outstanding issues. In an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV, Sharif said that Pakistan has learned its lesson after three wars with India and stressed that now it wants peace with its neighbour.
ANI