Denying any “rift” or “complications” behind postponement of his visit to India, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke today said he will be in New Delhi in mid-August.
“There were no complications. I have three or four people in India who are my main policy interlocutors. All but one of them were going to be out of the country,” he said, explaining that this was the reason why he could not travel to India during his recent trip to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Brussels.
“There's no issue here,” Holbrooke said, emphasising that he would be visiting India next month. “I am going to go back in mid-August. Within the limits of Indian Independence day. They all are looking forward to my coming.”
Asked if there was a rift between the US and India on the issue of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Holbrooke said there are no differences between them.
“You know, India was the first country in the world I was ever aware of. I have a very special feeling for it. And if there's a rift, you have to ask the Indians. I didn't see any rift,” the US envoy said.
Holbrooke was scheduled to visit India during his just- concluded trip to the region, but could not make it due to “scheduling mismatch.”
“It was basically when he was en route to Pakistan we found out,” one of his aides told State Department Press Corps about postponement of Holbrooke's visit to India.
