The United States has said there is no Great Game being played out in South Asia with the simultaneously ongoing US-India and Russia-Pakistan joint military exercises, a State Department spokesman said.
The State Department comments came amid growing bilateral ties between Cold War era estranged countries US and India on the one hand and Russia and Pakistan on the other side, have led to interpretations of new regional alignments taking place in the strategic region.
But Washington says it has close cooperative relationships with both India and Pakistan, the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbors currently locked in a war of words over Kashmir killings.
“Well, if the insinuation is that there’s some kind of tit-for-tat or Great Game being played out here, that’s not at all the case. Look, we’ve long said with regard to Pakistan, with regard to India, with regard to the region, there’s no zero-sum game here.” Mark Toner, Deputy Spokesman at the State Department noted, when asked about the two ongoing military exercises in India and Pakistan.
Continuing his response to the question, Toner cited US relations with both New Delhi and Islamabad.
“We are pursuing very close relations with India. We have a deep and broad bilateral relationship and multilateral relationship, but – or work our multilateral issues with India. They are the world’s largest democracy and we share, I think, a very similar vision of the world. And we obviously have very close trade and economic ties with India, and also that extends to security cooperation.
“Similarly, with Pakistan, we want to see Pakistan better able to respond to the threat that terrorism poses both domestically for Pakistan but also the fact that there are terrorist groups on – that seek refuge or asylum or shelter in Pakistan’s territory.”
‘The spokesman discounted the possibility of an Indian American campaign ending up as getting Pakistan declared a state sponsor of terror – an allegation being echoed by India every day amid deteriorating situation in the Indian-controlled Kashmir, where more than 100 civilian protestors have been killed in New Delhi’s reaction to anti-India demonstrations.
Instead, Toner reminded the questioner of the serious Pakistani counteterterrorism efforts.
“Well, look, that’s a very specific process and determination that involves a legal process and assessment. Our focus withPakistan is to enhance their capability, as I just said, to deal with a terrorist threat on their soil. They’re fighting a serious and sustained campaign against violent extremism. We do believe that they’re making progress, that they’re taking steps to counter terrorist violence, but at the same time we’ve been very clear that they need to target all militant groups, including those that target Pakistan’s neighbors, and close all safe havens.”
