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Wednesday, June 02, 2010
No one can afford Indo-Pak tensions: US
* Senior US diplomat pledges to pursue close relations with Pakistan, India
* Washington will not ‘inject’ itself into Pakistan, India issues unless askedWASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday pledged to pursue close relations with Pakistan and India as a senior US diplomat reaffirmed Washington’s desire for better ties between the two South Asian countries since “nobody can afford resurgence of tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours”.
“Of course the US attaches considerable importance to relations with Pakistan, but those relations do not come at the expense of India. We refuse to accept the notion that somehow we can have strong relations with only one country in South Asia at a time,” Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns said, as Washington and New Delhi prepared for this week’s strategic dialogue.
Burns renewed the Obama administration’s support and appreciation for recent steps by Islamabad and New Delhi towards restoring their peace talks.
“Of course we have an interest in better relations between India and Pakistan,” he said.
Help: “But we will not inject ourselves into issues that divide the two governments unless India and Pakistan ask for our help, and we will continue to urge Pakistan to take decisive action against the violent extremists who threaten its own interests as much as they do the security of India and America.” Burns said.
He said the US welcomed recent steps by India and Pakistan towards constructive dialogue, including the planned meeting in Islamabad in July between the two countries’ foreign ministers.
“The president has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s willingness to take political risks in order to lessen tensions with Pakistan and has promised that the United States will continue to support those efforts,” Burns said.
“None of us, least of all the two nations, can afford to see groups with global terrorist ambitions like the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba continue unchecked,” he said. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk