Responding to the United States signalling its engagement in the India-Pakistan dispute to de-escalate tensions, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today said that New Delhi’s stand on the matter remains unchanged.
The MEA said it has always supported dialogue to resolve pending issues but it should be ‘free of terror and violence’.
“Government's position for bilateral redressal of all India-Pakistan issues in an environment free of terror and violence hasn't changed,” the MEA said in a statement here.
The MEA also maintained that terrorism, which continues to be the biggest threat to peace in the region, must be eliminated from Pakistani soil to take the peace agenda ahead with the help of international community.
“We of course expect international community and organisations to enforce international mechanisms and mandates concerning terrorism emanating from Pakistan, that continues to be single biggest threat to peace in our region and beyond,” the MEA added.
Earlier in the day, Nikki Haley, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, had said that the US was concerned about the state of India-Pakistan relations and President Trump himself might get involved in a peace process between the two South Asian antagonists.
"This administration is concerned about the relationship between India and Pakistan and very much wants to see how we de-escalate any sort of conflict going forward," Haley, who holds a cabinet rank in the Trump administration, said.
"I would expect that the administration is going to be in talks and try and find its place to be part of that (process," the former Governor of South Carolina state said
She added, "And also wouldn't be surprised if the President participates as well."
The move signals a marked change in the stance adopted by the previous US administration under President Barack Obama, which had maintained all along that the Indo-Pak dispute was a bilateral issue and that it was for the two countries to determine the pace, scope and character of talks.
