In a diplomatic bid to de-escalate Pakistan-India tensions over cross-Line of Control violence in the disputed Kashmir region, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has instructed US ambassadors in Islamabad and New Delhi to work with the two governments to that end.
State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said Washington has urged the South Asian neighbors calm as she noted that violence is not the answer for either country.
Reacting to the Pakistani proposal to have UN involvement in investigating the Line of Control incident, the spokesperson said if both countries show interest in getting UN role, Washington would support such a move but added that at the moment the US is asking them to work with each other.
“She (Hillary Clinton) has instructed our ambassadors to work with both governments, which they are doing,” Nuland said at the daily briefing, when asked about the latest situation in disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
The spokesperson repeated Washington’s concern about reports of violence along the Line of Control.
“It is our understanding that the governments of India and Pakistan are now talking and trying to work through these issues at a high level. We are urging both sides to take steps to end the violence.”
“We continue to strongly support any efforts to improve relations between the two countries. We have also discussed these latest incidents with both governments, urged them to talk to each and urged calm,” the spokesperson said.
“We have been counseling both governments to de-escalate to work through these issues to continue the consultations between them at a high level and we understand they are ongoing now. Violence is not the answer for either country,” Nuland remarked.
When asked about the US position on Islamabad’s proposal that it would be open to third UN involvement in investigation into the alleged incident, the spokesperson replied:
“Our view is that India and Pakistan have made pretty good progress in recent years in working through a number of difficult issues including opening of the trade relations etc, that they are now engaged at a high-level on these recent incidents. If they can work it out themselves that is obviously best.
“If both parties were interested in support from the UN etc we will obviously support that. But at the moment we are urging them to talk to each other.”
