The United States reaffirmed its support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan, emphasizing that it would not prescribe how those discussions should unfold.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller made this statement in response to inquiries following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s congratulatory message to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his recent electoral victory.
Diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated since August 5, 2019, after New Delhi abolished the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Subsequently, the two nuclear-armed nations expelled each other’s ambassadors and curtailed bilateral trade.
During a press briefing in Washington, Miller stated, “We value our important relationships with both India and Pakistan. We support direct discussions between the two nations, but they should define the pace, scope, and nature of those talks.”
Concerning terrorism, Miller noted that the United States and Pakistan share a commitment to addressing regional security threats. “The United States collaborates with Pakistan on security matters through our high-level counterterrorism dialogue, various capacity-building programs, and military-to-military engagements,” he said.
He noted ongoing communications with Pakistani leadership as part of the counterterrorism partnership. He stated, “We will continue our detailed discussions on regional security, including our annual counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations.
