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US renews offer to mediate on Kashmir

T V Parasuram in Washington

Three days after the Indo-Pak summit ended in a stalemate, the US has offered to lend its good offices to help India and Pakistan resolve their "difficult outstanding differences" on issues like Kashmir and nuclear weapons.

A day after US Secretary of State Christina Rocca's remarks that India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir problem "taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people," Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday said US could lend its good offices to help India and Pakistan improve their relations and resolve outstanding issues.

"We will do everything we can to lend our good offices to the improvement of relations between the two countries and the difficult outstanding issues, whether it is Kashmir or nuclear (weapons)," Powell said.

"So you will see us deeply engaged in the region and trying to have balanced and strong relations with both countries," he said.

US has so far held that it would not mediate between India and Pakistan unless asked by the two countries.

Bill Clinton, during his visit to India and Pakistan as president last year, had articulated America's Kashmir policy -- respect for the Line of Control, negotiations between India and Pakistan and addressing the concerns of Kashmiris by the Indian government.

Powell expressed "disappointment" that the Agra summit between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf did not produce "as much progress or did not have the success we might have hoped."

PTI

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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