Congressional Statements
Rep. Ackerman Applauds Administration's
No Special Envoy Policy Toward Kashmir
Press Release
September 29, 1999
Congressman Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.) tonight announced that there was
no change in the Clinton Administration's policy toward the Indian state
of Jammu and Kashmir, adding: "Both the White House and the State
Department have reiterated to me today that there was no question of the
United States appointing a 'special envoy' to the resolve the Kashmir
issue between India and Pakistan."
"I welcome this resolute 'no-special-envoy' position of the Administration
and applaud the President for appreciating the complex nature of the Kashmir
problem. The Administration realizes full well that Kashmir is a bilateral
issue that can be best resolved through bilateral dialogue between New
Delhi and Islamabad," Rep. Ackerman, who is the cochairman of the
influential Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, said.
Rep. Ackerman, a leading member of the House International Relations
Committee, who spoke to senior Administration officials about India-Pakistan
relations, said in a statement: "The situation in Kashmir can best
be resolved by discussions between India and Pakistan as envisioned in
the 1972 Shimla Agreement."
The New York lawmaker, who met with Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh
earlier in the week in New York City, said: "It is in the spirit
of the Shimla Agreement that the Lahore Declaration was issued last February.
In that declaration both New Delhi and Islamabad renewed their commitments
to carry out the Shimla accord. Specifically, the Lahore Declaration states
that the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan 'have agreed that their
respective governments shall intensify their efforts to resolve all issues,
including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.'"
"Given all these previous commitments to address the issue of Kashmir
on a bilateral basis, I do not believe that internationalization of the
Kashmir question is in any way warranted. Nor do I believe that the United
States needs a Special Envoy to Kashmir."
Rep. Ackerman added: "I do not believe that expansion of the U.N.
Observer Mission in Kashmir is necessary. I believe that such steps only
reward Pakistan for its aggression and acts of terrorism and would do
nothing to further efforts toward peace in South Asia. In fact, our naming
a special envoy or seeking an enhanced role for the UN will be clearly
seen as external meddling in India's internal affairs. In others words,
any such move will have the opposite of the intended effect."
"U.S.-India relations in the post-Kargil period is showing signs
of a new sense of maturity. And we need to build on this. Appointing a
special envoy under whatever pretext will simply undo all the hard work
and progress made in fostering better U.S.-India relations," Rep
Ackerman, a U.S. Congressional Delegate to the new United Nations General
Assembly session, said.
"Kashmir is a victim of cross-border terrorism -- pure and simple.
The U.S. and India as the torch bearers of democratic values have a moral
duty to firmly combat this menace to international peace and put an end
to cross-border terrorism and acts of religious hate and bigotry.
"Undiluted resolve and realism are essential ingredients in facing
up to the problem posed by international terrorism. Both the U.S. And
India must evolve a common strategy to fight this global problem. Those
who abet and sponsor terrorism and allow their territory to be breeding
grounds for terrorism must be put on notice. They must be told in no uncertain
terms that unless they put an end to cross-border terrorism, they will
be put on the List of Nations that Promote Terrorism," Rep. Ackerman
added.
"I applaud President Clinton for taking an evenhanded approach to
the Kashmir issue and reiterating that there were absolutely no plans
for appointing any sort of a special envoy for Kashmir."
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