LONDON Feb 8: Council of the European Union has decided to broker peace between Pakistan and India for settlement of long-running Kashmir dispute.
Secretary General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana will have a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh next week to take up the issue.
He also intends to travel to the region for de-escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries, Solana said in his latest communication addressed to the British Liberal Democrat Euro MPs Liz Lynne and Chris Davies.
“I will meet the Indian Foreign Minister at the EU Troika meeting with him in Madrid on Feb 14 and I am also looking into the possibility of travelling at the earliest possible opportunity to the region in order to underline the EU’s commitment to promote Indo-Pakistani reconciliation, regional co-operation and the fight against terrorism,” said Solana.
Solana has pledged to work for reconciliation, Raja Najabat Hussain, Chairman All Parties Kashmir Freedom Council UK and Political Co-ordinator to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir said on Friday.
Solana, who is the high representative in charge of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy responded to British MPs Liz Lynne and Chris Davies who had urged him to follow up an earlier resolution adopted by EU parliament calling for sending an “honest broker” peace mission for settlement of Kashmir issue to prevent a possible nuclear conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi.
Solana said he was ‘very concerned about the military stand-off and the present level of tension’ and that he has spoken recently about the situation with the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
He welcomed President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s recent speech calling for a peaceful solution of the dispute with India over Kashmir.
Solana said he would have “regular contacts with Indian, Pakistani and other international key players on this issue”.
Javier Solana said “assisting or facilitating the resumption of dialogue’ in a way that is acceptable to all may be more effective than announcing a mediation effort which India might misinterpret as partiality”.
Liz Lynne, the West Midlands MEP who is also chairman of the All Party Kashmir Group of MEPs, said: “I am pleased with the many positive commitments Mr Solana has made, which goes much further than Britain, the UN or the Commonwealth have felt to do in recent years.
“I do believe the time is right for the EU, the UN or even the Commonwealth to launch an initiative to stop this dispute sliding into a catastrophic nuclear war and stimulate a peace process. But I think the EU appears at present to be in the best position to do this,” said Liz Lynne.
Dismissing contention of those who regard UN resolutions on Kashmir as outdated, Lynne said, “the UN resolutions are just as valid now as they ever have been”.
“But negotiations to explore confidence building measures and step-by-step de-militarisation are a vital staging post before both countries can move to agreeing a just, peaceful and sustainable long-term solution”, reports APP.
Lynne said “the history of the last 50 years suggests that external mediation or facilitation — whatever word you use — this is the only way to break the log jam and persuade all sides to consider new ideas.” Meanwhile EU Parliament on Thursday has passed a resolution urging the two countries to resume dialogue without any delay.—APP