UAE helped broker peace talks between India and Pakistan: Report
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) allegedly helped broker a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, Bloomberg News reported.
Last month, both South Asian nations released a rare joint statement to respect a 2003 ceasefire agreement.
Citing an Emirati official, Bloomberg reported on Monday that the ceasefire agreement was just the beginning of a larger roadmap to ensure lasting peace between the two nuclear nations.
The unidentified Emirati official said that as part of the next step, India and Pakistan would reinstate their envoys in New Delhi and Islamabad. Then they would hold talks on resuming trade and resolving the Kashmir dispute.
India and Pakistan cut ties two years ago after a suicide attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 40 Indian soldiers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fired air strikes on alleged militant camps in Pakistan and accused armed groups of operating in its territory - a claim Islamabad has denied.
Tensions escalated further when Pakistan withdrew its envoy to New Delhi after India removed seven decades of autonomy for the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Last week, Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on India to "bury the past and move forward" and said the army was ready to resolve "outstanding issues".
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also sent a tweet to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to get well soon after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Pakistan's foreign ministry did not comment on the talks or what role the UAE played. New Delhi and Abu Dhabi also did not comment.
Over the last year, the UAE has made several overtures to India and Pakistan - hinting at its possible involvement in talks between the two countries.
Two weeks before last month's announcement to respect the 2003 ceasefire, Khan held a phone call with Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, where they both discussed "regional and international issues of interest".
Following the ceasefire, the UAE was one of the first countries to congratulate the two countries for respecting the 2003 ceasefire agreement.
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