This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2014

The President looks forward to traveling to India in January to participate in the Indian Republic Day celebration — Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) November 21, 2014

WASHINGTON: Hours after the White House publicly confirmed that President Obama will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day, the US President phoned Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to tell him that Washington values its ties with Islamabad.The mollifying phone call — made from Air Force One as Obama headed out to Las Vegas after announcing the India visit — is ostensibly aimed at assuaging any feelings of hurt or pique in Islamabad, which has seen US-India ties grow steadily even as its own tormented relationship with Washington has floundered because of its dodgy stand on terrorism.Having long demanded equal diplomatic treatment from the US. vis-a-vis India, particularly in terms of Presidential visits, Pakistan has lately found itself out in the cold despite its notional standing as a US ally. President Clinton visited Pakistan for five hours on his way back after a five-day visit to India in 2006. President Bush too stopped by during for a brief visit that was shrouded in secrecy and tight security, on his way back from a 2006 trip to India. The contrast in Pakistan to their India visit, during which both Presidents literally engaged in a dance of democracy, could not have been starker.President Obama put an end to any such contrast or comparison by simply not going to Pakistan during his visit in 2010. Pakistan was promised that he would visit the country separately in 2011, but that pledge was effectively torpedoed when US forces found (and killed) Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in May that year after years of suspicion that Pakistan was sheltering him.The US President has now stepped it up several notches with New Delhi by accepting Prime Minister Modi's invitation to be the chief guest on India's Republic Day. The gesture goes far beyond a ceremonial commitment considering India now overtly displays its military might, including its latest hardware, during the Republic Day parade. New Delhi wheeled out its latest nuclear capable Agni-5 missile in the 2013 Republic Day parade.While the White House was circumspect on Obama's phone call to Sharif, the Pakistani foreign office said the country's prime minister asked Obama to play a role in resolving the Kashmir issue when he travels to India, while blaming New Delhi for the current deadlock in bilateral talks."The Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) referred to his visit to India earlier this year, which was aimed at taking Pakistan-India relations forward. Subsequent unfortunate steps on India's part, including cancellation of Foreign Secretary level talks and the unprovoked firing across the LoC/Working Boundary resulting in civilian casualties, indicated that India was averse to normalization of relations with Pakistan," a statement from the Pakistan's foreign office said.(US President Barack Obama welcomes PM Narendra Modi at the White House. File photo)"Thus, while we remain open to the resumption of bilateral dialogue, the onus is on India to create a conducive environment in this regard. President Obama expressed his understanding for our position," added.The statement said Sharif recalled his invitation extended to Obama in Washington to visit Pakistan and said he conveyed the expectation of the people of Pakistan to welcome President Obama sometime in the future. The President also assured Sharif that he would undertake a visit to Pakistan at an early date, "as soon as the situation normalizes in the country," it said.But the White House readout on the phone call made no mention of Kashmir or any prospective visit to Pakistan.The terse White House statement read: President Obama spoke by phone today with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan to discuss efforts by the United States and Pakistan to advance shared interests in a stable, secure, and prosperous Pakistan and region. President Obama and Prime Minister Sharif reaffirmed the valued relationship between the two countries and the importance of the US.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue as a framework for guiding the bilateral relationship. The two leaders reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism and extremism and to promote peace and stability in the region. The President welcomed Pakistan's improved relations with the new Afghan government.