20 May 2002
U.S. "Strongly Concerned" Over India-Pakistan Tensions
(Armitage will soon travel to the region) (1390)
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters May 20 that
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage is expected to visit India
and Pakistan in the near future.
Boucher said the United States is "strongly concerned" about the
increased potential for conflict between India and Pakistan, following
an attack on an Indian army garrison in Kashmir May 14.
"We think the surest way to lower tensions and resolve disputes
between the neighbors is through more dialogue between them, not less.
That makes it important to keep their channels of direct communication
open," Boucher said.
"We remain deeply engaged with Indian and Pakistani leaders. Over the
weekend the secretary spoke with President Musharraf on Sunday. We're
further continuing his involvement. We've had regular, high- level
visits and visitors with people from these two countries. We do expect
that Deputy Secretary Armitage will travel to the region in the near
future. I don't have details or dates for you at this point. So the
United States is involved, has been involved, will remain involved in
doing whatever we can to help these two governments lessen the
tension," he said.
Boucher noted that Deputy Secretary Armitage met with Yogindra Narain,
India's Defense Secretary, on May 20.
Following is an excerpt from the May 20 State Department briefing with
spokesman Richard Boucher:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: No, I won't. But it seems to be -- as the AP says --
suspected Islamic militants have killed now two Indian soldiers in
Kashmir. There's a flare-up. Is there anything the US intends to do or
can do to ameliorate the situation?
MR. BOUCHER: I would just say that we have made clear what our strong
concerns are about potential for conflict between India and Pakistan.
We have been working with both those governments to try to see if we
can't use the excellent relations that they each have with the United
States to contribute in some way to an easing of the tensions. We
think the surest way to lower tensions and resolve disputes between
the neighbors is through more dialogue between them, not less. That
makes it important to keep their channels of direct communication
open.
We remain deeply engaged with Indian and Pakistani leaders. Over the
weekend, the Secretary spoke with President Musharraf on Sunday,
further continuing his involvement. We have had regular high-level
visits and visitors with people from these two countries. We do expect
that Deputy Secretary Armitage will travel to the region in the near
future. I don't have details or dates for you at this point.
So the United States is involved, has been involved, will remain
involved in doing whatever we can to help these two governments lessen
the tension.
QUESTION: Travel to the region, you mean go to the obvious places?
MR. BOUCHER: India and Pakistan, yes.
QUESTION: Do you have -- your line about "keep channels of direct
communication open," should we assume that relates directly to the
Indian decision to expel the Pakistani Ambassador?
MR. BOUCHER: That relates to any steps that make it more difficult to
have that dialogue. We would in fact encourage them to continue a
dialogue, not to cut off channels.
QUESTION: Which means that this is -- well, what is your reaction to
the expulsion of the Ambassador?
MR. BOUCHER: As I said, we encourage them to use their channels to
have more dialogue, not less. That's where we'll stop.
QUESTION: And on Deputy Secretary Armitage -- I realize you say you
don't have dates or times, but would the first week of June, which is
what apparently the Pakistanis and others are saying, is about the
time frame?
MR. BOUCHER: I'm not quite ready yet to speculate on the time frame,
but that would qualify as being in the near future, yes. Which is what
I said.
QUESTION: Did the Secretary's talk with General Musharraf included --
I guess this talk took place after India announced the expulsion of
Pakistani Ambassador from India. Did this --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't remember the exact timing of the announcement.
I'm really not at this point prepared to go into specific details of
their discussion, other than to say that whenever he talks to his
counterparts in the region, whether it is Foreign Minister Singh, or
in the case of Pakistan he talks frequently with President Musharraf,
he's always looking for what the United States can do and how we can
help ease the tensions between them. And that's the context for the
phone call.
QUESTION: Richard, how do you compare the tension this time with the
last time, when the Indian parliament was attacked and to blame --
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we compare the tensions. These attacks have
been awful and caused terrible loss of life and damage, as well as
make it more difficult for two neighbors to live peacefully together.
And that's our goal.
QUESTION: Isn't the Administration worried about what is happening
between India and Pakistan at this time?
MR. BOUCHER: I just said we're strongly concerned about it. I'll stay
with that.
QUESTION: Richard, you just had a senior Indian defense official in
the building today meeting with Deputy Secretary Armitage. Did you
look for and receive any kind of assurances from the Indian Government
that they would refrain from taking any kind of retaliatory action?
MR. BOUCHER: Again, I don't -- was that meeting this morning? I didn't
realize the meeting was over. I don't have a specific readout of that
particular meeting. But put it in the same context: we always look for
what we can do to try to help them ease tensions.
QUESTION: How concerned is the US that -- there are apparently some
reports of movements, or at least steps that are being taken -- to
take some sort of military action. How concerned is the US that --
MR. BOUCHER: Strongly concerned.
QUESTION: One more?
MR. BOUCHER: I've said that before. Let's let somebody else have a
question, too.
QUESTION: Can you tell us, at this meeting, was it scheduled because
of the current crisis, or did he happen to be here? What was the
purpose --
MR. BOUCHER: I think it was previously scheduled, but I'll have to
double-check on that.
QUESTION: There is a joint meeting at the Pentagon tomorrow, isn't
there, involving US --
MR. BOUCHER: Again, let me double-check the exact schedule on these
things.
QUESTION: Richard, again Prime Minister of India said that action will
be taken, and they will respond, and Pakistani hand is there clearly.
And also, yesterday, the Indian general army for the first time said
that time has come to punish Pakistan, what he had done, just like
Israelis have done against Arafat.
MR. BOUCHER: Okay. Two statements. Do you want to ask a question?
QUESTION: No -- any Secretary's comments on this?
MR. BOUCHER: As I said, we're --
QUESTION: That's why you're rushing Deputy Secretary Armitage into the
region?
MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we are rushing Deputy Secretary Armitage
out there. He has been involved in this situation in the past. He has
gone there before. We have had our Assistant Secretary out there. Our
Deputy Secretary has been involved and will remain involved. The
Secretary of State himself has been involved. It is just one of the
many ways the United States continues to work on this issue to try to
see what we can do to help the parties defuse the tension.
QUESTION: That will follow, Secretary's visit, maybe in the near
future?
MR. BOUCHER: I wouldn't speculate on that.
QUESTION: New topic?
MR. BOUCHER: Okay, let's finish with this.
QUESTION: Have you brought in any other country on this? Brits, who
have a special --
MR. BOUCHER: I think we have made clear we have talked repeatedly with
other governments about this. When Foreign Secretary Straw was here,
both he and the Secretary talked about it, if I remember correctly, at
their news conference. It was one of the issues that they have stayed
in close touch on, and the British Government as well is doing what it
can to try to ease tensions. It is a subject that he has discussed
with Foreign Minister Ivanov on several occasions, as well as with
other Europeans who were interested and involved in this situation.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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