Ahead of her talks with the Indian leadership, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the disputes between India and Pakistan should be looked at with "fresh eyes" and that Kashmir should "certainly" be on the agenda of discussions between the two countries.
Clinton, who will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders in New Delhi on Monday, said the meeting between Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday has "ignited the hope" that both countries will pursue a dialogue again.
"I think that the disputes between India and Pakistan, which are historical and long-standing, should be looked at with fresh eyes, and there should be an effort to build some mutual trust," Clinton told Dawn News in an interview.
On the Kashmir issue, she affirmed the US position thait it wants India and Pakistan to resolve all such issues bilaterally and that Washington is ready to support the steps that both the countries take together.
"It certainly should be on the agenda of discussion between India and Pakistan," she said when asked whether Kashmir is still seen as a dispute that needs to be resolved. The top American diplomat said Pakistanis need not fear about her India visit and that she will be visiting Islamabad in the fall.
"The point of my trip to India is to certainly broaden and deepen our relationship with India. And I will be coming to Pakistan in the fall and be looking to do the exact same thing with Pakistan," she said.
{{/usCountry}}"The point of my trip to India is to certainly broaden and deepen our relationship with India. And I will be coming to Pakistan in the fall and be looking to do the exact same thing with Pakistan," she said.
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