New York: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he discussed the issue of Kashmir with the leaders of India and Pakistan during his meetings with them and offered to help with arbitration or mediation to the two nuclear-armed countries, who have to work it out.
In New York, while addressing reporters, Trump said that he had 'very productive conversations' with leaders of India and Pakistan on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
"With respect to Pakistan and India, we talked about Kashmir. Whatever help I can be, I said, I offered, whether it's arbitration or mediation or whatever it has to be."
He added that he will "do whatever he can because India-Pakistan are at very serious odds right now and hopefully that will get better".
Trump met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UNGA for 40 minutes, and a day earlier, he had met Pakistan PM Imran Khan.
India maintains Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party has any role in it. Both Modi and Khan are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly this week.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters after the bilateral meeting that Modi explained in detail to Trump the challenges faced by India because of terrorism, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, where 42,000 lives have been lost in the last 30 years due to the menace.
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