The United States said on Thursday it supports direct talks between India and Pakistan but believes the pace, scope and nature of those talks should be decided by the two countries.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller (AP/File) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a regular press briefing on Thursday that the United States values ​​its important relationships with both India and Pakistan.
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“We have said we support direct talks between India and Pakistan, but the pace, scope and nature of these should be decided by the two countries, not us,” he said.
Replying to another question, Miller said the United States and Pakistan have a shared goal of addressing regional security threats.
“We partner with Pakistan on security through a high-level counterterrorism dialogue, including several counterterrorism capacity-building programs, and we support a series of military-to-military exchanges between the United States and Pakistan,” Miller said.
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“We are in regular contact with Pakistani leaders as part of our cooperation on counter-terrorism issues and will continue to discuss regional security in detail, including through our annual Counter-Terrorism Dialogue and other bilateral consultations,” he added.
Miller said in April that the US urged both neighbours to avoid escalation and to resolve issues through dialogue, but that it “won't intervene in the situation.”
Asked about reports that Indian government agents carried out the assassination in Pakistan, Miller said: “We are closely monitoring media reports on this matter. I cannot comment on the underlying allegations.”
Relations between the two countries deteriorated after India revoked Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on August 5, 2019, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and dividing it into two union territories. Pakistan responded strongly by downgrading diplomatic ties and expelling its Indian ambassador. India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is, and will forever be an integral part of Pakistan.”
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India has expressed its desire to have stable neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terrorism, hostility and violence.
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