Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday rejected any scope for third-party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying the two countries can discuss and resolve all issues bilaterally.
"We don't want to trouble any third country,” said PM Modi while interacting with the media with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Summit in Biarritz, France.
The Modi-Trump meeting came in the the backdrop of India revoking administrative autnomy for Jammu & Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two union territories.
Trump, ahead of his meeting with Modi, had said that he will discuss the Kashmir issue with him on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit. He had in the recent past has offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
“There are many bilateral issues between India and Pakistan, and we don't want to trouble any third country. We can discuss and resolve these issues bilaterally,” said Modi, adding that India and Pakistan were together before 1947 and that he was confident that the two neighbours can discuss their problems and solve them.
Modi said that in his telephonic conversations with Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan in the past, they spoke of poverty and other issues confronting both countries and that the nations should work together for the welfare of their people.
On his part, Trump said he and Modi spoke last night about Kashmir and he feels that both India and Pakistan can resolve it.
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked after India abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, evoking strong reactions from Pakistan.
India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was an internal matter and also advised Pakistan to accept the reality.
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