‘Positive step towards greater peace’
New Delhi: A day after India, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) starting from February 25, the United Nations and the United States welcomed the development.
The UN said that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is encouraged by their decision to strictly observe all agreements on a ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and hopes that the “positive step” would “provide an opportunity for further dialogue”.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki welcomed the joint statement and urged both countries to keep building upon the progress.
“United States welcomes the joint statement between India and Pakistan that the two countries have agreed to maintain strict observance of a ceasefire along the Line of Control starting on February 25. This is a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia, which is in our shared interest and we encourage both countries to keep building upon this progress,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
On Thursday, India and Pakistan released a joint statement saying that they have held discussions regarding establishing a mechanism for hotline contact and also agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC starting from February 25.
Director Generals of Military Operations of India and Pakistan also reviewed the current situation across the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors “in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere” and agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have the propensity to disturb the peace and lead to violence.
During the meeting, it was also decided that both sides would utilize border flag meetings to deal with any unforeseen situation or address any misunderstanding.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the US has always backed direct dialogue between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and other issues of concern.
“We welcome the arrangement that was announced that will go into effect I should say on February 25,” he added.
