“We hope any country on planet condemns terrorism anywhere”: US on India-Pakistan relations

Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, Vedant Patel reiterated the country’s stand on terrorism and said that they hope that any country on the planet condemns terrorism anywhere.

Vedant Patel was asked by a media person about where the US relations stand with India and Pakistan as India has always emphasised that terrorism and talks cannot go together with Pakistan.

Addressing the media briefing on Monday, the US official was responding to a question on where the US stands as a triangle between the US and India, Pakistan and India and India-US relations.

The reporter restated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intent and quoted that he has been trying even during his second term that India wants a good relationship with Pakistan, adding that terrorism and talks cannot go together.

“We would hope that any country on the face of the planet condemns terrorism anywhere,” Patel said.

He further said that the US welcomes any countries making more positive relations with their neighbours.

“But ultimately this is between India and Pakistan broadly, of course, we welcome any countries making more positive relations with their neighbours. But as it relates to this specifically, I just don’t have anything to offer,” he said.

Vedant Patel emphasised that India is a country in which the US is deepening relations in a number of key spaces.

“India is a country in which we are deepening our relations within a number of key spaces, especially as it relates to deepening our economic ties, deepening our security cooperation,” he said.

He further noted that US President Joe Biden had the opportunity to briefly see Prime Minister Modi in the margins of the G7 a couple of weeks ago.

“So, this is an area we will continue to cultivate this relationship,” he said.

Further underscoring PM Modi’s state visit to the US, Patel said that there will be several additional areas where the US continue to deepen cooperation.

“You are no stranger to the fact that we hosted India for a state visit last summer. And I imagine there will be a number of additional areas where we continue to deepen cooperation. National Security Adviser Sullivan just had a visit to Delhi a number of weeks ago as well,” he said.