Kashmir won't hold centrestage in Indo-US discussions

The Clinton administration clarified that the Kashmir issue will not be a centrepiece of its 'strategic dialogue' with India, scheduled to begin Friday in New Delhi.

Nor will it hold centrestage in the discussions during President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's forthcoming visit.

A senior state department official gave this clarification in Washington when his attention was drawn to department spokesman James Rubin's observation on Wednesday -- that the Kashmir issue was obviously going to be central to any trip.

''The US will not mediate in the Kashmir dispute,'' the senior official said, ''The issue is clearly central to the Indo-Pakistani dialogue. It has hindered its progress... (But it will) not be a centrepiece of our discussion with them.''

The spokesman claimed the secretary of state had an 'unusual' understanding of the Kashmir issue.

Asked whether the US was seeking an enhanced security relationship with India, he said, ''I am not going to speculate what direction the talks will take. An enhanced security relationship is not on our agenda. Nor is it on India's."

He, however, acknowledged that America's military relation with India has slightly improved. The cooperation in that field would continue.

"I don't think either country has any interest, at this stage, of going beyond these relations to an enhanced strategic relationship. Both will be happy to continue doing what they are doing now,'' he said.

The official went on to add that the US relation with India and Pakistan were not as 'nuclear-centric' as in the past.

UNI