New Delhi/Biarritz: Speaking loud and clear in the presence of US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the issues between India and Pakistan were bilateral in nature and he “doesn’t want to trouble any third country” on this, thereby categorically rejecting any case for third-party mediation by the United States or any other country.
In what is seen as a major diplomatic win for India, Mr Trump, in an apparent climbdown from his earlier position when he had offered to mediate, also indicated he felt the two neighbouring countries could resolve their problems.
Mr Trump said he and Mr Modi spoke about Kashmir “at great length” on Sunday night and he felt both neighbours can resolve the issue on their own.
The US President apparently raised the Kashmir issue with Mr Modi and said Mr Modi felt he had “the situation under control”.
Speaking on India- Pakistan ties, Mr Modi said both countries were one before 1947 and that they can resolve issues bilaterally through discussions, adding that both should instead combat poverty and other ills together.
India had earlier this month bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir state into two Union territories and revoked Article 370 that had granted a special status to J&K.
The 40 minute-long bilateral meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Trump that followed the publicly-aired comments focused only on issues of trade and energy and there was no discussion on Kashmir there, foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said later.
