WASHINGTON: The United States reiterated its call for Pakistan and India to collaborate in fighting terrorism, which would prove beneficial for the region as well as for Washington.
“We would encourage greater dialogue and counter-terrorism cooperation between both Pakistan and India. We’ve said that many times. It’s for the good of both countries. It’s for the good of the region. Frankly, it’s for the benefit of the United States,” US State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said at a regular briefing. He further maintained that it was important that Pakistan did the utmost to prevent terrorists from carrying out acts of terror – not just in Pakistan, but elsewhere in the region. “So it is important that there’s greater collaboration, greater dialogue. And we would encourage any effort in that regard,” he added
When asked to comment on Pakistan’s offer for conflict talks, the spokesman added that it was important for the two countries to have a greater collaboration and dialogue “and we would encourage any effort in that regard.” Pakistan offered India a bilateral arrangement on non-testing of nuclear weapons, last week. Pakistan had also proposed to India simultaneous adherence to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty after the 1998 test, however, it had not elicited a favourable response.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, a foreign office spokesman also asserted that in the larger interest of peace and stability in the region, Pakistan had indicated the possibility that the two countries may consider a bilateral arrangement, which was reflective of its policy of promoting restraint and responsibility in South Asia as well as its consistent support for the objectives of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). “The bilateral non-testing arrangement, if mutually agreed, could become binding immediately without waiting for the entry into force of the CTBT at the international level,” the spokesman added.
On Monday, a State Department spokesperson had stated that the United States would support all positive steps that India and Pakistan take to forge closer relations, and also called for finding a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue.
Reiterating the US position on Kashmir, the spokesperson also believed that it was for Pakistan and India to decide on the pace, scope and the character of any discussions regarding Kashmir.
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