The Hindu : Our ties with India and Pakistan not triangular: U.S.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 28, 2003

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International - India & World

Our ties with India and Pakistan not triangular: U.S.

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Nov. 27. The United States has said one more time that it has no desire to play the role of mediator between India and Pakistan and maintained that its relationship with New Delhi and Islamabad was not triangular but one with "two Governments, two countries."

The State Department spokesman was asked to clarify what the Ambassador-designate to India, David Mulford, said in his confirmation hearings last week — that the U.S. should not play the role of manager or mediator between India and Pakistan. Was Washington a manager in the past?

"... We have always made clear it's not — we're not inserting ourselves as some kind of mediator, that the relationship that we have with Pakistan, the relationship the U.S. has with India is not a triangular one, I think, the phrase the Secretary (of State) always uses. We're not a manager in a U.S.-India-Pakistan relationship. We have relationships with two Governments, two countries," the spokesman, Richard Boucher, said.

"Each one of those relationships is important to us. We want to develop each of those relationships. And in that process we want to encourage them to deal with each other on the issues that are of concern. That's why we've always stressed that dialogue between the two countries themselves as the best route to address issues that are of concern to them, including Kashmir," the spokesman added.

Mr. Boucher was asked if the U.S. played any role in the announcement of the ceasefire along the Line of Control. "We have certainly kept in touch with both Governments.

We've welcomed the statements that have been made, the announcement by — I guess the Pakistani Prime Minister first and then the response, very productive and constructive response from India," he said and added that the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, has kept in touch with the parties by way of telephonic conversations with his counterparts and welcoming the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir and in the Siachen Glacier area.

"As we've said before, greater engagement between them (India and Pakistan) can lead to a resolution of their differences, including moving toward a permanent end of their conflict," Mr. Boucher added.

Asked if Gen. Powell had discussed the issue of infiltrations or terrorism in Kashmir in his telephonic conversations with the Pakistani Foreign Minister and India's Minister for External Affairs, the spokesman said the Secretary of State discussed with both sides the terms of the ceasefire that was being now implemented.

"But I'd say the emphasis has been on the implementation of the measures that they've announced, including the ceasefire. And we certainly welcomed the announcement and now we welcome the implementation that's going on," Mr. Boucher said.

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Our ties with India and Pakistan not triangular: U.S.