'Will Help, If We Can': Donald Trump Again Offers To Mediate On Kashmir After Meeting Imran Khan

As per a transcript of the remarks made by him and Khan before their meeting in Davos, Trump said, "We're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India.

President Donald Trump meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan at the World Economic Forum. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday evening at an event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos where the former said that United States is 'watching and closely following' the developments between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. As per a transcript of the remarks made by him and Khan before their meeting in Davos, Trump said, "We're talking about Kashmir and the relation to what's going on with Pakistan and India. And if we can help, we certainly will be helping." "And we've been watching that and following it very, very closely," he said adding that two countries would not only talk about trade, but many other things as well. Trump was careful in his wording about possible involvement in the Kashmir issue compared to the past when he had made claims like Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked for his help. The example to his promptness could be observed in his statement where he can be seen prefacing his claim with 'if we can help'.

President @realDonaldTrump just held a bilateral meeting on trade with the Prime Minister of Pakistan. #wef2020 pic.twitter.com/uTVEYEJoeQ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 21, 2020

Even in the past, Trump has show interest and extended helping hands, if the two countries want US to resolve the decades long border dispute. India, however, is opposed to any third party involvement in the Kashmir or other disputes between the two countries because of the 1972 Simla Agreement in which the two countries agreed to deal with their disputes bilaterally. Trump said that relations between Pakistan and the US have been the closest they have ever been. According to the transcript released by the White House last night, Khan suggested that Washington play a role in resolving the issues with India. He said, "For us, in Pakistan, it's a big issue. And, of course, we always hope that the US will play its part in resolving it because no other country can." Asked by a reporter if he would be visiting Pakistan during his forthcoming visit to India, Trump said he will not as he was meeting Khan in Davos. "Well, we're visiting right now (with Khan), so we won't really have to. But we -- I wanted to say hello for both a relationship standpoint -- we've had a great relationship -- and from the standpoint of our two countries," news agency IANS quoted Trump as saying. Speaking about dialogue on trade with Pakistan, Trump said that it is going to be of very, very paramount importance. Pakistan is currently undergoing a massive economic breakdown with inflation shooting up on various household products to an all time high. Several media reports stated that Khan would seek help from the United States to help his government overcome the financial crisis. The US president had, last year, stroked a controversy when he met Khan at the White House for the first time in July 2019. Trump had then said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue, a claim that was at once rejected by the Indian government. ALSO WATCH | Imran Khan Expects Donald Trump To Save Pakistan's Crashing Economy India has maintained a strict stand for close to five decades that the matter will only be discussed bilaterally and has not been open to any third-party intervention. Bilateral ties between India and Pakistan have remained on the blink ever since the BJP-led central government abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution and revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status last August. (With inputs from IANS)