Seeking to allay apprehensions on the Kashmir issue, a key aide of US President-elect Barack Obama has said the new administration understands that the right approach on it was through an Indo-Pak dialogue process and voiced confidence that Washington will support the exercise from outside.

Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth said "too much has been made" out of Obama's interview to Time magazine and MSNBC TV channel where he stated that he wants to try and resolve the Kashmir issue seriously and would devote serious diplomatic resources to get a special envoy in there.

"I think there is no question on the right approach to Kashmir. It is just to allow the two parties -- India and Pakistan -- to address it themselves bilaterally taking in toaccount the concerns and ambitions of the Kashmiri people. I have no doubt at all that would be the approach of the new administration," Inderfurth told a television news channel.

"I also believe that if the United States can be supportive of that process that the US should be, because this is a major issue that affects not only the two countries, but also the region, I don't believe that the President-elect has made any decision about how he intends to actually accomplish helping support that process," he said.

"And if the special envoy role is looked at it will only be pursued if it would be both helpful and appropriate. He has said that. So I think that too much has been made of that. Let him take office, he still has a few more days to get through the transition and January 20 we will see where the administration goes," he said.