NEW YORK, Sept 25: A senior State Department official has reiterated that Kashmir remains a “direct issue” between India and Pakistan, stressing that the United States has no interest in “asserting” itself between the two South Asian neighbours.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the official said it has been a “longstanding” US policy to view Kashmir as a bilateral matter. “If we are asked to offer our good offices on any issue, we are ready to help, but we leave that up to India and Pakistan to solve,” the official stated.
The remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump, in his UN General Assembly address, claimed he had helped stop a conflict between India and Pakistan. The official, while acknowledging Washington’s role in brokering a past ceasefire, clarified that the US does not intend to mediate on Kashmir.
“President Trump already has enough crises on his hands. We have no interest in asserting ourselves between India and Pakistan,” the official said.
India has consistently maintained that there is no scope for third-party involvement in discussions with Pakistan, particularly on terrorism-related issues, which New Delhi insists must remain strictly bilateral.