NEW YORK: The United States welcomed a joint statement from India and Pakistan that they have agreed to maintain a ceasefire along the disputed border in Kashmir.
“This is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia, which is in our shared interest and we encourage both countries to keep building upon this progress,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news briefing.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed as a “positive step” the agreement between the militaries of India and Pakistan to observe a ceasefire at the Line of Control in the disputed Kashmir region and hoped that it would pave the way for more talks between the two countries.
READ MORE: Pakistan, India agree to ‘strictly observe’ ceasefire along LoC
“The Secretary-General is encouraged by the joint statement issued by the militaries of India and Pakistan on their agreement to observing the ceasefire at the Line of Control in Kashmir and engaging through established mechanisms,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement read out at the regular noon briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday.
“He (UN chief) hopes that this positive step will provide an opportunity for further dialogue,” the statement said.
Replying to a question, the spokesman said the UN chief had no plans as yet to contact the leaders of India and Pakistan for starting the process to resolve the decades-old Kashmir dispute.
He said the secretary-general’s good offices were always available for any member state who would request it. The President of UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, also welcomed the agreement, which, he said, “sets an example for others and demonstrates the General Assembly’s value.”
