WASHINGTON, Nov 22: The United States would use its influence on both India and Pakistan to encourage them to live peacefully but is not going to play a mediatory role in resolving the Kashmir dispute, the US Senate was told.

The Bush administration’s policy towards India and its efforts for resolving India-Pakistan disputes were reviewed on Friday evening at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as part of the confirmation process for America’s ambassador-designate to New Delhi, David C. Mulford.

During the hearing, Ambassador Mulford eschewed suggestion from US lawmakers that Washington should mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute, which has afflicted their relations for the last 56 years.

The suggestion that the United States should help resolve the Kashmir dispute came from powerful chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar. “Shouldn’t the United States play a more active role in resolving the dispute over Kashmir,” asked the senator from Indiana who occupies a key position in the ruling Republican Party.

In his opening remarks, Senator Lugar observed that it was in US interest to ensure stability in South Asia and promote better relations between India and Pakistan.

“Even as US-India ties have strengthened, we are concerned about the stability of India-Pakistan relations, especially after last year’s crisis. We are pleased that both countries have taken some steps to reduce tensions, he said.

The US ambassador in India, Mr Lugar said, “must encourage bolder steps that foster long-term stability and normalisation between India and Pakistan.”

Responding to his remarks, Mr Mulford said he agreed with the observation of the chairman that Kashmir was one of the world’s most important problems and hoped that it would be resolved peacefully.

“The thing that strikes me about that problem is that it is a problem of very long standing. It’s deep, it’s complex, and it is something, which is very much between the two countries themselves,” he asserted.

The United States, he said, should do everything possible to press both India and Pakistan to “continue to make progress” on Kashmir. “But I do not think we should insert ourselves into the process as the manager or mediator or referee of this problem resolution.”

Mr Mulford, who would soon be representing the Bush administration in New Delhi, availed this opportunity also to praise India’s leaders.

“We welcome the hand of friendship initiative taken by Prime Minister Vajpayee. The progress that appears very minimally, but nevertheless to some considerable extent taking place and we have to hope that this initiative will continue to move forward,” he said.

Mr Mulford, however, said he believes the United States should watch the situation in Kashmir “very closely” and make it obvious to both India and Pakistan that the world will not accept further deterioration in bilateral relations between the two countries who posses nuclear weapons.

“We have to watch very closely. We have to encourage both countries strongly to continue their efforts and to make it clear that returning to some of the past problems we’ve seen there is simply not acceptable for the world,” he said.

Mr Mulford assured the committee that as ambassador to India, “the global war on terrorism will be a top priority for me. I also want to emphasise that the United States strongly supports India in its battle against terrorism, just as India has supported us.”

The American people, he said, would long remember India’s strong show of support in the difficult days following the September 11 terrorist attacks. “We are grateful for India’s willingness to join us in the fight against terrorism.”

President Bush nominated Mr Mulford last week along with James C. Oberwetter, the ambassador-designate to Saudi Arabia and requested the committee to hold the hearing quickly because of the sensitive nature of the two assignments.

Later, Mr Lugar told reporters that he had already conferred with others members of the panel and they have agreed to approve the nominations and send their names to the full Senate, which may confirm them over the weekend.

Mr Mulford brings a long financial experience to his new job. From 1984 through 1992, he was under secretary and assistant secretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department.