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Trump offers mediation on Kashmir once more, calls it an ‘explosive situation’

US President Donald Trump said he would be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend at the G7 in France, and he would do his best to mediate in the issue.

Trump offers mediation on Kashmir once more, calls it an ‘explosive situation’

US President Donald Trump (File Photo: IANS)

President of United States Donald Trump once again offered to mediate on the Kashmir issue on Tuesday as tensions continue between India and Pakistan.

After speaking with the leaders of both the countries and urging them to reduce tensions over Kashmir, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend at the G7 in France, and he would do his best to mediate in the issue.

Addressing reporters in the White House, President Trump said, “Kashmir is a very complicated place. You have the Hindus, and you have the Muslims, and I wouldn’t say they get along so great. And that’s what you have right now.”

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“And you have millions of people who want to be ruled by others, and maybe on both sides, and you have two countries that haven’t gotten along in a long time.

“And frankly it’s a very explosive situation. I spoke to Prime Minister Khan, and yesterday I spoke to PM Modi; and they are both friends of mine, and they are great people, they’re great people. And they love their countries, and they are in a very tough situation.”

“Kashmir is a very tough situation, and this has been going on for decades, and decades; shooting, and I don’t mean shooting like shooting a rifle, but major shooting of howitzers, of heavy arms, and this has been going on for a long, long period of time.”

“But I get along really well with both of them, As you know Prime Minister Khan was here just recently.”

“And I’m going to meet Prime Minister Modi, I will be with PM Modi over the weekend, in France.

“And I think we’re helping the situation, but there’s tremendous problems between the two countries. And I will do the best I can to mediate or do something,” he said.

On Monday, Trump spoke with his “two good friends” Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan and urged them to work towards reducing tensions over Kashmir. He also advised Pakistan to “moderate its rhetoric with India” over Kashmir.

Prime Minister Modi said “extreme rhetoric and incitement to anti-India violence by certain leaders in the region was not conducive to peace”, in reference to the Pakistani leadership which had an anti-India stance over the Kashmir issue.

A White House readout of his talk with Imran Khan said, “Trump reaffirmed the need to avoid escalation of the situation, and urged restraint on both sides. The two leaders also agreed to work together to strengthen United States-Pakistan economic and trade cooperation.”

Last week, Pakistan’s attempts in the United Nations Security Council over Kashmir were left unsuccesful after most of the participating nations agreed that ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and dividing it into two union territories was a bilateral matter between New Delhi and Islamabad.

The meeting of the 15 nations ended without any resolution.

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