“Just Hold on For Modi-Trump Meet Tomorrow,” India After Trump’s Third Offer Of Kashmir Mediation
Mumbai: Let’s wait for the meeting tomorrow says Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after US President Donald Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir issue for the third time.
President Trump, in a joint media briefing with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was asked if he was willing to mediate on the Kashmir conflict, to which he replied “I am ready, willing and able. It’s a complex issue. But will do so (mediate) only if both sides want me to.”
Responding to US President’s offer, A Gitesh Sharma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said,” There is a meeting tomorrow, let us wait for the meeting.” Sharma was referring to President Trump and PM Narendra Modi’s scheduled meeting in New York at 9:45 PM (IST) on the sidelines of 74th UNGA session.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, on the other hand, said, “You see, the response from Secretary (Sarma) is after giving some thought. You are aware of our position, we have mentioned it in the past. But my request is just held. Is; catch the bus for tomorrow’s meeting. I think it’s not too far away and we intend to have a briefing shortly thereafter, where you will have the answer to all questions.”
This is the third time when Trump offered to be the mediator between Pakistan and India over Kashmir issue, earlier in July he said that I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago, and we talked about the subject. And he actually said, ‘would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator’, and I said ‘where?’, and he said ‘Kashmir’, because this has been going on for many, many years. I was surprised for how long it has been going on,” to which Imran Khan interjected to say, “70 years”.
“I think they (India) would like to see it resolved, and I think you (Pakistan) would like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be mediator,” the US President had stated.
After which India shattered Trump’s claim saying that Modi had never made such a request to him, and stressed that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are “discussed only bilaterally.”
A month later in August, he made the same offer and reiterated that he was ready to assist if the two South Asian neighbours (India and Pakistan) wanted his help in resolving the Kashmir issue.
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