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EU asks India, Pakistan

to respect LoC

STRASSBOURG: The European Union has urged India and Pakistan to refrain from any provocation and to respect the Line of Control (LoC) to create an atmosphere conducive to bilateral talks on all outstanding issues.

A resolution adopted after a debate on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strassbourg said the two countries could also consider international support or mediation, if necessary involving the United Nations, to facilitate a meaningful bilateral dialogue. It asked both countries to recapture the spirit that in February last year led to the Lahore Declaration.

EU's Development Affairs Commissioner Paul Nielson said that the third parties wanting an end to the Kashmir dispute should urge both India and Pakistan to de-escalate military confrontation in a structured way and to resume comprehensive dialogue with a view to re-launching the Lahore peace process.

Nielson said India should be encouraged to explore the full potential towards internal political solutions to meet the expectations of Kashmiri population in line with the possibility for enhanced autonomy.

Welcoming European Parliament's deep concern regarding the Kashmir issue, he said the world community's concern for the region was "a legitimate one", particularly as both New Delhi and Islamabad possessed nuclear weapons and since their bilateral dialogue has effectively broken down.

Precisely because of this impasse and the high risks involved, third parties must adopt a balanced approach, he stressed.

Nielson said the upcoming EU-India summit at Lisbon would certainly discuss the Kashmir issue.ÐPPI