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India, Pak should solve problems bilaterally: Rumsfeld

United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday said that India and Pakistan should solve their problems bilaterally without any international intervention.

Addressing a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar, Rumsfeld said both countries should also begin a dialogue process to reduce tensions.

"The two countries need to talk to each other. They need to have diplomatic relations and ways of communicating to each other about issues like road, rail and air communication," Rumsfeld said after talks with Pakistani leadership.

He, however, said it was for the two countries to decide when to hold talks.

Describing the Kashmir issue as 'significant', Rumsfeld said the two countries have to find 'ways to communicate' on it.

"Whether it is before elections, during elections or after elections, only they can make a decision," he said.

To a question on military de-escalation, Rumsfeld said, "We expect force reduction," but added that both India and Pakistan were 'sovereign' countries and they would take decisions 'as they should'.

The friendly countries should meet both sides and discuss the situation and try to be helpful, the Defence Secretary said. He said the maintenance of forces on 'high alert' for too long was too expensive and expected the tensions to resolve over some time instead of a situation where tensions go up.

At a joint press conference, Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said, "We appreciate US efforts (in reducing Indo-Pak tension)... we expect more of the US."

Reacting to this, Rumsfeld said, "When we expect more of ourselves."

"There is no magic wand ... problems get sorted out on the ground. Problems are sorted by the countries themselves," Rumsfeld said.

Earlier, he met Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf saying he had 'some ideas' in trying to reduce tensions with India over Kashmir.

But even before he met Musharraf, Rumsfeld had angered Pakistan over comments in New Delhi on Wednesday that Al Qaeda militants were operating in Kashmir.

Pakistan's presidential spokesman Rashid Qureshi said the Rumsfeld's comments were 'absolutely incorrect'.

"I don't know where they (the United States) got this from," he said. "It seems they believed Indian propaganda."

Rumsfeld, who considers Musharraf an ally in the US war against terrorism, first received a briefing by Pakistani officials on the situation in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

As he was greeted by Pakistani officials, just before his meeting with Musharraf, he told them: "I've got some ideas."

In India, Rumsfeld discussed how to assess the infiltration of militants, with India saying they are still crossing the border into Kashmir and Pakistan saying they are not.

Rumsfeld and Indian officials discussed the idea of using electronic sensors to detect whether militants were crossing the border into India, but it was not a concrete proposal.

In India, there was also discussion of joint Indian-Pakistan patrols of the line of control. India has suggested such joint patrols, while Pakistan wants a foreign presence involved.

PTI/Reuters

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