US President Barack Obama on Sunday ruled out 'outside' solutions for resolving the Kashmir issue and said that disputes between Pakistan and India "can only be resolved by the two countries themselves". Welcoming the resumption of the dialogue process, he said: "It is not the place of any nation, including the United States, to try to impose solutions from the outside."
"That said, nations must meet their responsibilities and all of us have a profound interest in a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic."
The US president was responding to a question on the current state of relations between Pakistan and India and the best way forward for the two countries to resolve their bilateral matters, including the Kashmir issue, Indian news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Obama said that the US welcomed any dialogue and lessening of tensions between the two countries which would be good for South Asia and for the world.
"President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India was encouraging. Increased trade and people-to-people contacts between Indians and Pakistanis can lead to greater prosperity and understanding on both sides.''
"Efforts in New Delhi and Islamabad to improve relations give hope for further progress, including a possible visit to Pakistan by Prime Minister (Manmohan) Singh," he said.
He also elaborated on the future of Afghanistan and India's role in it, besides outlining US strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, which is seen by some commentators as aimed at making India a counterweight to the growing military and economic muscle of China. "India will be critical to Afghanistan's future," he said, pointing out that it had also been critical to Afghanistan's progress to date.
Obama said in hosting the recent conference on investment in Afghanistan, India had shown a readiness to champion that nation's economic development.
As a result of this spring's Nato Summit in Chicago, he said, they now had a "clear path for bringing the war to a responsible end".
Next year, in mid-2013, Afghan forces would take the lead for combat operations and coalition forces would have shifted from combat to support across the country and their troops would continue to come home, the President said.
"By the end of 2014, the transition to Afghan lead for security will be complete so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own country.
"After 2014, Nato will continue to train, advise and assist and support Afghan forces as they grow stronger. Likewise, the Strategic Partnership Agreement that the US signed with Afghanistan, as well as our designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-Nato Ally, makes it clear that we will not abandon that country, or the region, to terrorists who threaten us as well," he said.
On commentators' view that the US wanted India to be a counterweight to the growing China in the region, Obama said after a decade in which the US was largely focused on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he made a strategic decision that as a Pacific power, the US would play a larger and long-term role in shaping the future of the Asia-Pacific because this region was vital to American security and prosperity.
"Our efforts are aimed at no nation. On the contrary, our increased engagement in the region - in concert with allies and partners - is designed to advance the security, prosperity and dignity of people all across the region," he said.
President Obama said that the US had, therefore, strengthened its key alliances, including with Japan, South Korea and Australia, and worked to deepen partnerships with emerging powers, including India.
"In fact, our efforts complement India's own 'Look East' policy of greater engagement in East Asia. Our two nations are working more closely together, with other partners, in regional organisations like Asean and the East Asia Summit.
"I've always rejected the zero-sum notion that one nation's success has to come at another nation's expense, and I continue to believe that a secure, stable and prosperous Asia Pacific will benefit all our nations," President Obama said.
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