The State Department reaffirmed on Thursday that it is in favor of direct discussions between Pakistan and India; but, the two neighbors, not the United States, should decide the parameters of any talks.
In answer to a question on recent discussions between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over the latter’s win of a third term as prime minister, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller made this statement.
We value our significant partnerships with Pakistan and India. As we’ve stated, we’re in favor of direct talks between Pakistan and India, but those two nations, not us, should choose the tone, scope, and speed of those talks, Miller said.
On June 10, Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated Modi on taking the oath of office. Modi replied by thanking Shehbaz.
The State Department spokesperson, speaking during the department’s press conference, stated that Pakistan and the US had a common interest in thwarting threats to regional security.
“We support a number of US-Pakistan military-to-military engagements and we partner with Pakistan on security through our high-level counterterrorism dialogue, which includes several counterterrorism capacity-building programs,” he stated.
He was also asked about Pakistani Ambassador to US Masood Khan’s recent statement that Pakistan needed modern American weapons to deal with the TTP, as the terror outfit is “using American weapons against Pakistani military that were left by US forces in Afghanistan”.
“We continue to discuss security in the region in detail, including through our yearly counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations,” Miller stated. “We are in regular communication with the Pakistani leaders as part of our partnership on CT issues.”
