The United States has urged India and Pakistan to resume direct dialogue to reduce bilateral tensions and resolve all issues, including Kashmir.
"I think one of the things that we would do is ask or encourage India and Pakistan to sit down together and engage in direct dialogue that is aimed at reducing tensions between both of those countries," State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said during the regular press briefing.
Nauert said that in terms of Kashmir, "our policy has not changed. We continue to encourage the sides to sit down and talk together about that."
The spokesperson also informed that U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with the Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj to give a heads-up as to what new strategy of the U.S. would be.
Nauert noted that the U.S. views that the handling of Afghanistan requires a regional strategy and that incorporates India as well as Pakistan.
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"So incorporating all the nations in that region who we believe can help assist and help make Afghanistan a stable place where you'll never have a terror group that will take root in that country again and can launch attacks on other countries," Nauert continued.
U.S.President Donald Trump has sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in Afghanistan as he ruled out a hasty withdrawal of troops while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy on Monday.
Trump had said that a "critical part" of his South Asia policy was to further develop America's strategic partnership with India.
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