Annan Urges India, Pakistan to Resolve Differences Through Dialogue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 27, 2001

Annan Urges India, Pakistan to Resolve Differences Through Dialogue

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the leaders of India and Pakistan to avoid escalating actions and refrain from making further statements that could aggravate the situation between both countries, a U.N. spokesman said Wednesday.

"Annan said that every effort had to be made to foster a calmer atmosphere so that differences, no matter how great, could be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy," the spokesman said.

Annan made the statement in letters sent on Tuesday evening to Indian Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the spokesman added.

"The Secretary-General also told the leaders of India and Pakistan that the international community as a whole had great interest in improved and stable relations between their two countries," he said.

Indian and Pakistan troops continued their exchange of fire for the fifth day on Wednesday in disputed Kashmir with India accusing Pakistan widening the sweep of its mortar shelling and targeting forward Indian positions.

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