NewDelhi: US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his offer to mediate in the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan but added that is up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept the offer of assistance. Lauding both PM Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan, Trump said that he got along great with both the prime ministers, adding that they are fantastic people.
Trump expressed his interest in intervening in the matter but only if he got the green signal from PM Modi and Khan.
Question: India has rejected your offer of help on Kashmir. India is also–India has rejected your offer of help on Kashmir. India says Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s up to–it’s really up to Prime Minister Modi. And I met with Prime Minister Khan; I got along great with–I think they’re a fantastic people, Khan and Modi. I mean, I would imagine they can get along very well.
But if they wanted somebody to intervene or to help them–and I spoke with Pakistan about that, and I spoke, frankly, to India about it. But that’s been going on, that battle, for a long time.
Question: How do you want to resolve the Kashmir–
THE PRESIDENT: If I can–if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene.
Trump’s comment came hours before the India-US meet between Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers meet in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday.
The US President ruffled feathers with his claim that PM Modi had asked him to mediate in the Kashmir issue when the two leaders met “weeks ago” on the sidelines of G20 Summit. He said this during a joint press brief with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington on July 22.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply