G7 Urges India-Pakistan Dialogue

Reuters

A paramilitary trooper mans a gun atop a vehicle as he keeps guard during a media tour of the Karach

The Group of Seven (G7) major countries on Friday, 9 May 2025, urged India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue as hostilities rise between the nuclear-armed neighbors, while the U.S. government said it has offered assistance in starting "constructive talks."

World powers have alarmed over the latest escalation in the decades-old India-Pakistan rivalry. India hit Pakistan with air strikes and missiles last Wednesday and since then both countries have been clashing daily, leaving dozens killed.

In a statement, the G7 said: "We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemn the egregious terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and urge maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan. Further military escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability. We are deeply concerned for the safety of civilians on both sides."

"We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome. We continue to monitor events closely and express our support for a swift and lasting diplomatic resolution," the statement added.

Among the G7 powers, the U.S. has held regular talks with both India and Pakistan in recent days and urged them to de-escalate.

After a call on Friday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, the U.S. State Department said Rubio offered U.S. assistance "in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts."

Rubio has also held regular calls with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar since the end of April.

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the rising tensions were a shame, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance said a war between the two countries would be "none of our business."

Western nations have viewed India as a crucial ally in recent years as a check on China's growing sway. Pakistan is a U.S. ally although its importance has diminished since Washington's 2021 withdrawal from neighboring Afghanistan.

The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in full but ruled only in part by both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan. It has been the site of wars, insurgency and diplomatic stand-offs over the decades.

Pakistan said this week that New Delhi and Islamabad have had contacts at the level of their respective national security councils.

Since their independence from colonial British rule in 1947, Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan have had tense relations. Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, has been the focus of conflict, with two of their three wars fought over it.



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