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Kashmir should be resolved through talks: US

K J M Varma in Islamabad

The United States no longer believes in playing a zero sum game between India and Pakistan and wants the two countries to bring down tensions and begin a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue, US Ambassador to Islamabad Wendy Chamberlin said in an interview on Thursday.

"We are not going to choose between the two (countries). We value our relations with both India and Pakistan. It is not a zero sum game," she told Pakistan television.

Asked why the United States did not adopt a more "proactive" role in resolving the Kashmir issue, she said Washington believed that dialogue was the first step to be taken between both the countries to resolve the differences.

"Dialogue is first step. It is not for us to determine what framework to be adopted by India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir to begin a dialogue," she said.

"It is the absence of fighting we are talking about. We believe in addressing the situation. Tension in the area need to be kept down for negotiations. That is what we are urging," she said.

Asked about the emerging US defence relations with India and Pakistan, Chamberlin said: "We can have a strong relationship with both Pakistan and India at the same time. That is clearly where we are going."

"There are military-to-military ties with India and there are going to be stronger military-to-military ties here as well. At the same time we will be developing financial, diplomatic and trade ties," she said.

PTI

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