French Prez Emmanuel Macron backs PM Modi on Kashmir, stings Trump with 'no third party interference' jibe
French President Emmanuel Macron is all for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Kashmir issue. India and Pakistan should resolve the Kashmir issue bilaterally, Macron said on Thursday after his marathon one-on-one talks with PM Modi. In an indirect jibe at US President Donald Trump, the French President further said that no third party should interfere or incite violence in Kashmir.
India's move abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir has already been hailed by several countries, with many saying it is India's internal matter. Some of them are Russia, Bangladesh, Nepal, European Union, and many more.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron had a 90-minute long one-on-one meeting at Chateau de Chantilly, a prime French cultural heritage spot. Macron, later addressed the media, and said: "PM Modi told me about Jammu and Kashmir, and I said that Pakistan and India should resolve the situation, and we do not want that a third party should step in or spoil the situation or incite violence.
"PM Modi explained what are the developments and changes he has brought there in Kashmir, and that it is part of India's sovereignty, and it important that there is calm, and we should take steps to ensure the situation is not allowed to turn violent."
Macron said he would speak to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the issue and tell him that the talks should be held bilaterally
"Bangladesh maintains that Article 370's abrogation by Indian Govt is an internal issue of India. Bangladesh has always advocated, as matter of principle, that maintaining regional peace&stability and development should be a priority for all countries," Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs said.
Earlier, Nepal favoured dialogue and peaceful resolution of the India-Pakistan disputes including the Kashmir issue. Nepal Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said the Indian leadership is capable of resolving any issue peacefully. This was the first time that Nepal officially spoke about Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre on August 5 abrogated Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, and bifurcated the state into two union territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Russia too extended its support to India on the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, and said that the change in status and division into Union Territories was carried out within framework of the Constitution of India.
Russian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said it expects that India and Pakistan will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by Delhi in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
"We proceed from fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of J&K and its division into two union territories are carried out within framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India," it added.
Russia is a consistent supporter of normalization of relations between India and Pakistan, it said, hoping that the differences will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis.
The UAE also hailed India's move to do away with Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
UAE’s ambassador to India Ahmad Al Banna was quoted as saying: “We also took note of the introduction of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in the Indian Parliament aimed at replacing Article 370 with the creation of Ladakh region and the state of Jammu and Kashmir as India’s two new Union Territories."
He viewed this latest decision related to the state of Jammu and Kashmir as an internal matter as stipulated by the Indian Constitution. “We expect that the changes would improve social justice and security and confidence of the people in the local governance and will encourage further stability and peace," he added.
In his remarks, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe also described India’s action as an “internal" matter. “I understand Ladakh will finally become a Union Territory. With over 70% Buddhist it will be the first Indian state with a Buddhist majority. The creation of Ladakh and the consequential restructuring are India's internal matters. I have visited Ladakh and it is worth a visit," Wickremesinghe was quoted as saying by media reports.
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