That should provide a valuable occasion for the two leaders to exchange notes on South Asia and order their advisers to begin a purposeful conversation on how India and the United States could cooperate in promoting stability in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

To be sure, Obama appreciates the dangers of embarking on a mission to Kashmir that is littered with failed international initiatives. Many previous administrations, including those of Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton, tried their hand, unsuccessfully, at brokering a peace between India and Pakistan. While recognising that Kashmir is “obviously a potential tar pit” for American diplomacy, Obama remains optimistic about changing the regional dynamic.

In the interview, Obama said that “working with Pakistan and India to try to resolve the Kashmir crisis in a serious way” is one of the “critical tasks” for his Administration.

Saying that Kashmir is now in an “interesting situation”, Obama is ready to explore the option for the U.S. “to devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in there, to figure out a plausible approach”.

Obama lays out the kind of reasoning the Special Envoy could use in New Delhi and Islamabad. “Essentially make the argument to the Indians, you guys are on the brink of being an economic superpower, why do you want to keep on messing with this (Kashmir)”.

To the Pakistanis, the Special Envoy, according to Obama, could say, “look at India and what they are doing, why do you want to be bogged down with this (Kashmir) particularly at a time where the biggest threat now is coming from the Afghan border?”

... contd.