S Jaishankar to meet Mike Pompeo days after US president Trump's Kashmir mediation lie

The external affairs minister is likely to meet his American counterpart in his visit to Thailand on Thursday. EAM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar may meet United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in Bangkok later on Thursday as both of them will be attending meetings at the 9th East Asia Summit. This meeting is between the foreign minister is important as it will be first high-level meeting after President of United States of America Donald Trump during Paksitan PM Imran Khan's visit to his country said that PM Modi approached him for mediation in solving the Kashmir problem.

The Ministry of External affairs informed that Jaishankar will be on a two-day visit to Bangkok starting Thursday and will also participate in the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting, 26th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and 10th Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting.

A statement released by the ministry said that during the two-day visit, Jaishankar will "enumerate India's Indo-Pacific vision, which was elaborated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2018," and will also meet the new British Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab and discuss safety of Indians in the Iran-held UK Ship.

READ: Donald Trump says 'I would intervene if India, Pakistan wanted me to' days after his Kashmir mediation lie

Trump's lie on Kashmir:

Last week, in a meeting with Pakistan PM Imran Khan at the Oval Office, the US President claimed that he was asked by PM Modi to do mediate between the two neighbouring countries over the long-going issue of Kashmir. Trump further expressed his willingness to be the mediator in the matter. However, Trump's claims have been rejected from all quarters. The Ministry of External Affairs released a statement rejecting a third-party mediation in Kashmir issue. MEA also clarified that "no such request was made by PM Modi to the US President during the recently-concluded G20 Summit when the Prime Minister and US President held meetings. The statement further reiterated India's stand on Pakistan.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refuted that PM Modi ever made that request in his fiery speech in the Parliament. "We heard remarks by President Donald Trump in a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India and Pakistan, on Kashmir issue," he said in a statement to the Inidan Parliament. 

READ: China meddles over Donald Trump's Kashmir mediation lie, bats for India-Pakistan dialogue while silent on Pak terror

Trump's lie exposed:

Referring to his last week's meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, wherein he offered to help resolve the Kashmir issue, Trump on Thursday in his press meet expressed his desire to 'help' but India had categorically rejected his claim that the Indian PM approached him for help and that New Delhi will not include any external mediation in solving the Kashmir problem as underscored in the Simla Declaration. 

"It's really up to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi (to accept the offer of mediation)," Trump told reporters responding to a question on India not accepting his offer of mediation on Kashmir."Have they accepted the offer or not?", Trump sought a clarification when asked about India's rejection of his mediation offer.

Trump unabashedly said that "I think they are fantastic people  Khan and Modi -- I mean. I would imagine they could get along very well, but if they wanted somebody to intervene, to help them. and I spoke with Pakistan about that and I spoke frankly in (sic) India about it," Trump said. When asked how would he "want to resolve the Kashmir issue", Trump said, "If I can, if they wanted me to, I would certainly intervene."

READ: EAM S.Jaishankar to meet Dominic Raab to discuss safety of Indians Iran-held UK ship