WASHINGTON, 9 September 2004 — US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Tuesday that the Kashmir issue, trigger of two of three wars between Pakistan and India, was complicated and would take time to resolve.
He spoke after the two nuclear-armed neighbors made virtually no progress on the dispute over the Himalayan territory and other key issues that divide them following two days of talks that ended Monday.
“Kashmir is a very difficult issue,” Powell told reporters. “It will take time to resolve,” he said, noting that both parties knew that it had to be dealt with and had incorporated it in their agenda of talks.
Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri agreed at their talks in New Delhi to extend a cease-fire in force along the Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir.
But they repeated long-held differences over the territory, held in part by each country but claimed in full by both.
Powell said Tuesday that he spoke to Natwar and Kasuri late last week before they had their meeting and “I was pleased to learn from both of them that they are entering into this dialogue in a positive way.
“Both ministers recognize that Kashmir is an issue among many issues that have to be dealt with between the two nations.”
India accuses Pakistan of backing down on a pledge to halt militants moving from Pakistan into Indian Kashmir, where the 15-year revolt has claimed at least 40,000 lives. Pakistan has denied the charges.
At the same time, Kasuri repeated Pakistan’s worries over alleged human rights abuses by Indian security forces against Kashmiris.
“I am pleased that they are actually talking to one another at this level and at many other levels and that the environment for positive discussions has improved so greatly over the last year and a half, two years,” Powell said.
“You’ll recall less than about two years ago we were concerned about a major conflict between the two nations and now they are in discussions with one another,” he said.
Powell noted that this week’s meeting was the first between the two ministers in a fairly long period of time.
“So let’s take heart in the reality that they are discussing all issues between the two countries, of which Kashmir is one, and both have acknowledged that.”
While Washington plays no direct role in the peace dialogue, it is seen as having key behind-the-scenes influence.
