India rejects EU-Pakistan reference to J&K

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday strongly rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement issued by the European Union (EU) and Pakistan, calling them unwarranted.

Responding to media queries at the MEA briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Regarding the reference to Jammu and Kashmir, we would like to state that we categorically reject such unwarranted references in the Joint Press Communiqué on matters internal to India.” India said those who have no “locus standi” in the matter should avoid commenting on the country’s internal affairs. The response came a day after a joint communique released following the dialogue between Pakistan and the EU said that briefings were held related to Jammu and Kashmir.

“We would like to say that we categorically reject such unwarranted references in the joint press communique on matters internal to India. The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India,” he added.

“The Pakistani side briefed on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The EU side briefed on Russia’s war against Ukraine,” the press communique read.

Last month, India similarly dismissed references to Jammu and Kashmir in a joint statement issued by Pakistan and China. Replying to media questions about references to Jammu and Kashmir in the China-Pakistan joint statement, Jaiswal said India’s position has remained unchanged and is well known to both countries.

He also said India opposes attempts by any country to support or legitimise Pakistan’s control over territories linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which India considers a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.