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It will take time to resolve Kashmir issue, says Powell

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, SEPT. 8. The United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, told reporters here yesterday that Kashmir is a ``very difficult issue,'' which will take time to resolve and that India and Pakistan know that the issue would have to be dealt with. However, he said that he was pleased that the two countries were entering into a dialogue in a ``positive'' way.

``Both Ministers [Natwar Singh and Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri] recognise that Kashmir is an issue among many issues that have to be dealt with between the two nations. I am pleased that they are actually talking to one another at this level and at many other levels and that the environment for positive discussions has improved so greatly over the last year and a half, two years,'' he said, recalling the concern at one time of a major conflict between the countries.

``Kashmir is a very difficult issue. It will take time to resolve. Both parties know that it has to be dealt with and it is part of their agenda,'' Gen. Powell said.

``They have both acknowledged it. And this is the first meeting between these two Ministers of the two countries in a fairly long period of time. So let's take heart in the reality that they are discussing all issues between the two countries, of which Kashmir is one, and both have acknowledged that,'' he said.

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