Chennai: Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale asserted that India did not raise the Kashmir issue during the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“This (Kashmir) issue was not raised and not discussed. Our position is anyway very clear that this is an internal matter of India,” Gokhale said at a special press briefing after the culmination of the two-day summit.
Earlier in the week, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said, “We have seen the report regarding the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan which also refers to their discussions on Kashmir. India’s position has been consistent and clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. China is well aware of our position. It is not for other countries to comment on the internal affairs of India.”
A joint statement released by China and Pakistan after Xi-Khan meeting on Wednesday said that Beijing is “paying close attention to the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir” and that the matter should be “properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.”
