The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Ambassador to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, stated that the UAE is mediating between India and Pakistan to help the two countries in reaching a “healthy and functional” relationship. The statement came during the Emirati Ambassador’s virtual interview with Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
In his statement, Al Otaiba stated that his country plays a significant role in easing the tense relations between the two nuclear power in the region, particularly in terms of the Kashmir issue. The ultimate goal is creating a medium that would pave the way for restoring diplomats and bringing the relationship between the two countries to a healthy level, the Emirati envoy added. “They might not sort of become best friends but at least we want to get it to a level where it’s functional, where it’s operational, where they are speaking to each other,” he also said.
The relations between the two countries have been frozen since an Indian military convoy was hit by a suicide bombing in Kashmir in 2019. India accused Pakistan-affiliated forces of carrying out the attack. After the incident, India dispatched military aircraft to Pakistan. In the same year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revoked the autonomy of the Kashmir region to consolidate his country’s domination over the region. This move caused outrage in Pakistan and pushed the country to suspend diplomatic ties and bilateral trade with India.
However, speaking on the condition of anonymity, people familiar with the issue reported that intelligence officials from India and Pakistan held confidential talks in Dubai in January to reduce military tension.
