india

Updated: Aug 28, 2019 14:40 IST

In yet another snub for Pakistan on Kashmir issue, Russia on Wednesday said that it was an internal matter and needs to be resolved bilaterally. Pakistan has been trying to garner international support on Kashmir, after a Presidential order scrapped the special status of the state and divided it into two union territories, but with limited success.

“This is the sovereign decision of Indian government, it’s an internal matter of India. All issues existing between India & Pakistan should be resolved through dialogue on the basis of Shimla agreement & Lahore declaration,” Nikolay Kudashev, Russian envoy to India said.

Roman Babushkin, deputy chief of Russian embassy in India added that his country had no role to play in the issue. “During the closed-door event at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), we reiterated that Kashmir is an internal issue of India.”

France, UK, Russia, the US -- four of the five permanent members of the UN security council -- have endorsed India’s line while China has sided with its all-weather ally Pakistan. The United Kingdom, which initially supported the Pakistan in a UNSC outcome, backed out leaving, as one Indian official put it,”the prodigy and its mentor wiggling their hands”.

The Russian elaboration comes after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met his counterpart Nikolai Patrushev, the right hand man of president V Putin. It also comes right ahead of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting today with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Pakistan’s frustration at these continued rebuffs was voiced eloquently by foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at a recent news conference in Pakistan. “Giving vent to emotions is easy and raising objections is much easier. However, it is difficult to understand the issue and move forward. They are not waiting for you with garlands in their hands. Any members out of the P-5 nations can be a hurdle... Do not live in the fools’ paradise,” he had said on the UNSC setback.