New Delhi:After US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked him to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, India maintained that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral one and no third party has any role.
MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar denied the claim with a post on social media site Twitter. “We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President. It has been India's consistent position...... that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally.
US President made the statement during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House for the first time.
Claiming that PM Modi had sought his help in the matter, Trump also stated that he is ready to help, if the two countries ask.
"If I can help, I would love to be a mediator," Trump said in his opening remarks at the Oval Office during his meeting with Khan.
“I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject and he actually said: ‘Would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator’. I said ‘where’, he said ‘Kashmir’. Because this has been going on for many, many years... I think they would like to see it resolved and you (Imran Khan) would like to see it resolved. If I can help, I would love to be a mediator,” Trump said at the joint press briefing with Imran Khan.
Khan welcomed Trump's remarks and said that any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally.