US supports direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues of concern

The United States supports direct dialogue between India and Pakistan, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.

“As we have long said, we support direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues of concern. That has long been our position,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

This came after a question was raised regarding Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent statement on “willingness to talk with India.”

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Mineral Summit in Islamabad on Monday, Sharif said that to build the nation they are ready to talk with the neighbours.

“With our neighbours, we are prepared to talk to them, provided that the neighbour is serious to talk on serious matters on the table because war is no more an option. Pakistan is a nuclear power, not as an aggressor but for our defence purposes. We had three wars fought in the last 75 years. And what happened is it generates more poverty, unemployment and lack of resources to finance, education, health and well-being of the people,” Sharif said.

(With inputs from agencies)