Tharoor clarifies "interlocutor" comment about India-Pakistan and S. Arab

Riyadh, Feb 28 (ANI): Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Sunday clarified that he did not mean that Saudi Arabia should be a mediator between India and Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, Tharoor reportedly said that Saudi Arabia could be a "valuable interlocutor" between India and Pakistan.

Tharoor, who is accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a three-day State visit to Saudi Arabia, said: "We feel that Saudi Arabia of course has a long and close relationship with Pakistan but that makes Saudi Arabia even a more valuable interlocutor for us."

Shortly after making the remarks, Tharoor retracted them.

"There's no chance of my saying Saudi Arabia should be a mediator. Never said that or anything like it," he said.

Previously, Tharoor had invited controversy by making statements on social networking site Twitter about the government's austerity measures and immigration policy. (ANI)