- US encourages Pakistan-India dialogue, says regional dynamics important to Afghan stability
Welcoming the constructive tone set by the meeting between prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi, the United States has said it will continue to encourage Pakistan and India to pursue dialogue for peace and stability in South Asia.
“I think we have seen a constructive tone set from the very beginning by Prime Minister Modi and by Prime Minister Sharif, who was one of the first leaders to speak to Modi after his victory in the elections,” a senior official in the US President Barack Obama’s administration said.
In a background briefing on the eve of Obama’s foreign policy speech, senior American administration officials acknowledged the importance of Pakistan-India equation for stability in the region.
“We always encourage India and Pakistan to pursue dialogue that can reduce tension. We believe that it is in the interest of the entire region. And so we’ll continue to encourage that,” the official said.
The US remarks backed Prime Minister Sharif’s emphasis on Islamabad and New Delhi engaging in a sustained dialogue for resolution of outstanding issues.
“So with a new leadership in India, new leadership in Pakistan, and the new president coming to office in Afghanistan this year, I think we have an opportunity to have that discussion about how all the countries in the region can provide for greater stability and security. And that is certainly something we are going to pursue.”
The senior American administration officials also noted that the regional dynamics matter “considerably to future stability in Afghanistan”.
The officials, on anonymity, were responding to a question with regard to implications of Pakistan-India competition for situation in Afghanistan.
