The current go to by some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to Kashmir had stunned European Union authorities, an EU official stated on Thursday. The EU absolutely recognises Indian considerations on Kashmir whereas expressing concern for the rights of Kashmiris, he added.
“Our position on Kashmir is very clear: Full recognition of the very legitimate security concerns of India but equally strong concern for the rights of all Kashmiris. The respect for the fundamental rights of all people,” stated Christian Leffler, Deputy Secretary-Normal for Financial and International Points at European Exterior Motion Service. Observing {that a} sure diploma of normalcy “has come back” in Kashmir, however not “for all” as but, he stated: “That remains a concern for us, which is well known”.
On the MEPs go to, Mr. Leffler noticed that “it was a visit that came as a surprise to many of us” and was not organised within the common method of visits, including that it should have been a shock to the Indian Lok Sabha as properly. He was talking at a dialogue on “European Union and India: strategic partners on multilateralism and global governance” collectively organised by Brookings India and the Delegation of European Union to India.
Final month, the federal government had allowed 23 MEPs, who had been on an unofficial journey to India, to go to Kashmir that had hitherto been closed to even Indian MPs because the August 5 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s particular standing beneath Article 370.
Mr. Leffler stated there was want for a steady and sustainable resolution for the Kashmir challenge between India and Pakistan and it needed to be executed “by a dialogue between the two parties”. “We fully understand the security concerns that Indian authorities have on Kashmir,” he noticed, including that EU had raised them with Pakistan up to now.
