Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Kashmir issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the two meet in Paris this week, a French official said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday also weighed in on Kashmir, telling Modi that the issue was one for India and Pakistan to resolve between themselves through dialogue.
Macron and Modi are set to sit down for a working dinner at the Chateau de Chantilly outside Paris on Thursday ahead of a G7 summit this weekend, to which Modi has been invited.
"Of course it (Kashmir) will be on the agenda," a French diplomat said on condition of anonymity. "We have a strategic partnership with India, that means having confidence in each other. We are not going to be aggressive towards India, but we expect the Indian prime minister to explain how he sees things."
On August 5, the Modi-led government scrapped Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The move has led to an escalation in tensions with Pakistan.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Johnson and Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir and the British leader "made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir is one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally".
Johnson "underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue," she added. "They looked forward to meeting at the (G7) summit."
The French diplomat recalled France's similar position that Pakistan and India should resolve their differences between themselves and that both sides should avoid raising tensions.
Modi has been invited to this weekend's Group of Seven meetings of major economic powers in Biarritz and is seen by France as a crucial ally in the fight against climate change.
Comments
0 comment