The interviewer asked why the US Administration has been silent on Kashmir, after he (President Obama) had initially mentioned it.
Obama replied: ‘Well, I don’t think that we have been silent on the fact that India is a great friend of the United States and Pakistan is a great friend of the United States, and it always grieves us to see friends fighting. And we can’t dictate to Pakistan or India how they should resolve their differences, but we know that both countries would prosper if those differences are resolved’.
Answering another question, the U S President observed, ‘I believe that there are opportunities, maybe not starting with Kashmir but starting with other issues, that Pakistan and India can be in a dialogue together and over time to try to reduce tensions and find areas of common interest’.
‘We want to be helpful in that (dialogue)process’, Obama went on to say but made it clear that it was not appropriate for the US to be the mediator. ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to be the mediators in that process. I think that this is something that the Pakistanis and Indians can take leadership on’.
Did the US ask India to resume dialogue with Pakistan?
Obama replied: ‘Well, what we have said is that we think that all of South Asia would benefit by reduced tensions between India and Pakistan’.
He however stated that the US favoured dialogue between the estranged south Asian neighbours. ‘I think that dialogue is the best way to reduce tensions. And so, you know, we’re hopeful that Prime Minister Singh and President Zardari — they recently had an opportunity to meet briefly. It wasn’t an extensive conversation but it was the start of what may end up being more productive conversations in the future’.
