Discussion on Kashmir will only be with Pakistan: Indian FM

BANGKOK: Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday said that any discussion on the disputed region will take place bilaterally and with Pakistan only.

Jaishankar rejected US President Donald Trump’s statement about offering mediation to both countries on the Kashmir dispute.

In a post on Twitter, Jaishankar said:

Wide ranging discussions with @SecPompeo on regional issues. pic.twitter.com/SOLxBDe3Q0

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 2, 2019

The statement was issued soon after the response of President Trump’s statement earlier.

President Trump earlier said, “I would love to mediate if Pakistan and India wanted somebody to negotiate or to help them over the dispute of Kahmir,” he said in response to a question from a reporter at the White House about his earlier offer to mediate the Kashmir issue.

India had rejected the offer making it clear that there can’t be any third-party intervention on the issue. However, Pakistan welcomed it.