U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has begun talks with Indian leadership to encourage dialogue with Pakistan over the Indian Occupied Kashmir.
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India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, said she hoped the next USA president would continue the dialogue that also seeks inputs from companies, which this year included e-commerce giant Amazon and wireless technology firm Qualcomm.
US President Barack Obama and PM Modi launched the “strategic and commercial dialogue” in 2015 in efforts to deepen security and economic cooperation. The two-way trade between the countries stood at about US$ 109 billion a year ago.
Mr Kerry will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow at his residence. “The cavalcade got slowdown at one point”, [Sic] said Garima Bhatnagar, Joint CP (traffic).
Dozens of people have been killed in violent protests in held Kashmir since July 8, when security forces killed a field commander of Pakistan-based Islamist militant group who enjoyed widespread support in the Muslim-majority region.
“We have no such specific information regarding Kerry getting stuck in a traffic jam but yes we have several complaints of massive traffic jam on the roads leading to the city from the airport”, a traffic department official told IANS. It also says any talks should address cross-border terrorism in Indian-ruled Kashmir – something Pakistan denies any role in.
“U.S. stands with India on all matters of terrorism, no matter where it comes from; it’s crystal clear we are on the same view over it”, he said.
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The United States on Wednesday said that it is clear that Pakistan has to do more work towards clearing the terror sanctuaries and push harder against “indigenous groups” operating from its soil that are affecting ties with India and Afghanistan’s peace and stability.
