US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that he was ready to mediate between India and Pakistan on the thorny issue of Kashmir. Speaking to journalists after meeting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, Trump said that he trusted Pakistan and Imran Khan.
In response to a question from a Pakistani journalist, Trump said, “It’s all going to work out, but if I can help I’d like to help. But I don’t think you’ve ever had a President, who’s felt the way I do – in a positive way – about Pakistan.”
Trump added, “But I also have a very good relation with India. I have a good relation with both (India and Pakistan). So if they decide to use that feeling among both, I think we can help out…But this has been going on for a long time.”
Trump said that he would be an extremely good arbitrator since he had never failed as a mediator. The US President also said that some of his best friends were Pakistanis and they were ‘great negotiators’ and ‘among the toughest.’
Imran-Trump mtg at UNGA.
ARY? Journo: for the 1st time we get honest leadership like u in America.
Trump: I agree w/ u…Ppl in my position hv treated Pakistan v badly…I wouldn't say Pak has treated us too well either but maybe there was a reason. I think there was a reason 1/— Tanvi Madan (@tanvi_madan) September 23, 2019
Trump’s praise for Pakistani Prime Minister and Pakistan came hours after he shared the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston over the weekend.
Trump was also asked if he endorsed Prime Minister Modi’s views that Pakistan was a hotbed of terrorism. The US President replied, “Well, I have really been pointing much more to Iran…Iran’s really the no. 1 state of terror in the world.”
He said that Pakistan had made significant progress in fighting terrorism under Imran Khan as the country’s prime minister. “I’ve heard they’ve made great progress and under this leader. He’s a great leader. I think he wants to make great progress. There’s no solution the other way.”
Trump also described a statement made by PM Modi at the Houston rally as ‘very aggressive.’ “I mean I heard a very aggressive statement yesterday,” he said adding that he didn’t know that he ‘was going to hear that statement.’
According to Trump, the ‘aggressive statement’ by Modi was well received by the crowd but he hoped that the two countries should be able to come together and ‘do something that’s really smart for both.’