The United States strongly backs high-level dialogue between Pakistan and India and welcomes any new visit that helps improve ties between the two South Asian nations, the State Department said as Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf made a private trip to India.
“As a general matter —- we strongly support these ties and communications and high-level dialogue between India and Pakistan, the progress that they’ve made in visa, in travel, in economic warming,” State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
“So if there’s a new visit coming up that’s a good thing, and we’ll get more on that as that happens,” she added when asked to comment on Ashraf’s private visit at the daily briefing.
The Pakistani leader’s spiritual journey to Ajmer Sharif took on a new meaning as his trip marked the the first top political level interaction in the wake of killing of soldiers in military skirmishes along Kashmir line of control and revelation of Chuck Hagel’s speech before he became US defense secretary that Indian financed troubles in Pakistan from across the Afghan border.
The recent developments have set back the progress they achieved in terms of maintaining ceasefire along the line of control over the past several years in disputed Kashmir territory. New Delhi’s hardened stance has slowed down the tempo of confidence-building measures like facilitation of bilateral trade and easing of visa processes.
Washington, which is vitally engaged with both Islamabad and New Delhi on wide-ranging issues including the Afghan peace and regional security, has been counseling the two countries to talk to each other.
The State Department spokesperson confirmed Washington’s interest in seeing the two uneasy neighbors talk to each other, when asked if the U.S. ambassadors are in touch with the two countries on this private visit, Nuland said:
“We are always encouraging from our – at the ambassadorial level in both Delhi and Islamabad increasing warming in that relationship.”
But during Saturday’s private visit, New Delhi showed no signs of relenting on its political stance vis-à-vis taking forward the peace moves as Ashraf’s counterpart Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said improvement in ties depended on Pakistan addressing the terrorism issue.
India’s External Affairs minister Salman Khurshid hosted a lunch for Prime Minister Ashraf but insisted the private visit afforded no opportunity for formal talks on improving bilateral ties.
Minister Raja Perves Ashraf is of great wisdom and intellect and I find he to be of excellent representation to India with his means of moving forward in the most positive plan..The honorable United States are of tremendous intellect in suggestion Pakistan and India discuss the nature of planning many great things for the two countries in their visitation of conference.
Susie Greer, USA, Georgia
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