Key points
- Trump, Modi hold telephonic conversation
- No talks were held on an India-US trade deal
- White House did not immediately respond to Modi’s claim
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US President Donald Trump late on Tuesday that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not US mediation, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.
Trump had announced last month that the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US, and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war.
Indian media cited Indian Foreign Secretary Misri as claiming, “The talks regarding cessation of military action were held directly between India and Pakistan under the existing channels established between both militaries”.
Prime Minister Modi emphasised that “India has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,” he said.
Misri claimed that Trump and Modi spoke over the phone at the insistence of Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, which Modi attended as a guest, according to Reuters.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Modi-Trump call, Reuters reported.
Trump announces ceasefire
The Indian PM’s denial comes after President Trump said last month that the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours agreed to a ceasefire after talks mediated by the US and that the hostilities ended after he urged the countries to focus on trade instead of war.
READ ALSO: Pakistan, India Agree to ‘Immediate Ceasefire’, Will Hold Talks at ‘Neutral Site’
In response to India’s attacks, Pakistan had launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos in response to Indian aggression.
The two countries, following four days of armed conflict, agreed on a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, The News International reported.
