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India vows not to give ground on Kashmir

NEW DELHI: India insisted on Thursday it would not drop its opposition to mediation in the dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, despite U.S. President Bill Clinton's offer to help improve relations between the two old enemies.

"There is absolutely no change in substance or nuance in our position," a foreign ministry spokesman said.

The spokesman had been asked about Clinton's remark, made in Washington on Wednesday, that he was concerned about the discord between India and Pakistan and hoped to do something about it.

India has consistently resisted moves to involve third parties in its decades-old feud with Pakistan and says Indian occupied Kashmir is an inalienable part of the country.

"We have larger concerns about cross-border terrorism which we believe Pakistan should address," the ministry spokesman said.

"Pakistan should stop all manner of support to cross-border terrorism and terrorist infrastructure that exists within that country."-Reuters