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US worked to ‘take down’ India-Pakistan tensions, says Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he spent a “good deal of time on the phone” with Indian and Pakistani leader to make sure “there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk”.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that he has been on phone with Indian and Pakistan leaders to “take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations”.
Pompeo said he spent a “good deal of time on the phone” with Indian and Pakistani leader to make sure “there was good information exchanged, encouraging each country to not take any action that would escalate and create increased risk”.
The secretary of state spoke to reporters about his efforts to de-escalate tensions on his way home from Hanoi.
“I had good conversations (with leaders of India and Pakistan), and I am hopeful that we can take down the tension there, at least for the time being, so they can begin to have conversations that don’t portend risk of escalation to either of the two countries
“So we’re working hard on that,” he added.
The secretary offered no other details.
Earlier in the day in Hanoi, President Donald Trump had addressed the tensions and had hinted at “some reasonably decent news” regarding Indian and Pakistan and that the tensions were “going to be coming to an end”. Shortly after, Pakistan announced the release of Indian Air Force pilot in their custody.
Response was awaited from US authorities to questions if they had intervened with Pakistan to release the Indian pilot.
Pompeo had spoken to his Indian and Pakistani counterparts Sushma Swaraj and Shah Mehmood Qureshi also on Tuesday, after India’s “counter-terrorism action” in Balakot, Pakistan. While urging both side to exercise restraint, he had expressly asked Pakistan to avoid taking “military action” and take “meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil”
The US state department followed up with another statement on Wednesday, after Pakistan sought to retaliate to the Balakot air-strike. It had asked both sides to “cease all cross-border military activity and for a return to stability”.
And, citing the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, it reiterated its appeal to Pakistan “to abide by its United Nations Security Council commitments to deny terrorists safe haven and block their access to funds”.
