WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States believes that Kashmir is an ultimate issue that has to be resolved between India and Pakistan, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said on Friday.

Crowley told reporters at the department that the ongoing U.S.- Pakistan strategic dialogue is focused on expanding bilateral relationship, and of the 13 working groups relating to the dialogue, none is on Kashmir. He said that "the United States' policy is clear: we believe that this is an ultimate issue that has to be resolved between India and Pakistan."

The two South Asian neighbors have fought three wars, two over Kashmir, since their independence in 1947. Pakistan has called for a U.S. role in resolving the dispute, while India has been vehemently against a third-party mediation into the issue.

Crowley said that the United States has great concern about human rights violations in Kashmir. "We talk both to our Pakistani friends and our Indian friends on this issue on a regular basis. We would like to see the situation in Kashmir resolved," the spokesman said. "There's obviously too much tension and violence in Kashmir, which is the way we continue to encourage, you know, both countries to resolve it through dialogue."

U.S. President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit India in early November and go to Pakistan in 2011.