Categorically ruling out any mediatory role on the Kashmir issue, the Obama Administration has said it wants India and Pakistan to address the issue in a way that eases tension between the two South Asian neighbours, which it believes is crucial to promote regional peace.

"The United States is not looking for mediation role, but rather we want India and Pakistan to be able to address these issues in a way that eases tensions, because we think it is really in benefit of both countries and also for promoting regional stability," National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said.

National Security Council is the inter-agency coordination body of the White House. It is headed by General James Jones, who was recently in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Hammer said issues regarding tension between India and Pakistan came up for discussion during the week-long trip of Jones to the region, but US reiterated its stand that this has to be handled by New Delhi and Islamabad alone and that the United States has no mediatory role in it.

"We have had of course opportunities to discuss relationship between India and Pakistan. It is in our interest in seeing that the meetings that (Indian) Prime Minister had with (Pakistani) President (Asif Ali) Zardari in Russia continue in the sense that it is important for both country to engage in a dialogue and to try to ease tensions," he said.

"We are encouraged by that and we hope that both countries would continue that effort," said Hammer who accompanied General Jones to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

... contd.