Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Kashmir: EU delegation meets separatists in India-controlled Kashmir

FOCUS Information Agency - The fact-finding mission of the European Union (EU) Tuesday met chairman of moderate faction of the separatist alliance Hurriyat Conference and chairman of pro-independence group Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to understand the prevailing situation in the restive region, Xinhua News Agency informed.

The five-member delegation, which is currently on a visit to India-controlled Kashmir, called on Mirwaiz Farooq Mirwaiz and Mohammed Yasin Malik in Srinagar, the summer capital of the region and held meetings with them.

Mirwaiz appraised the delegation about the situation in the region and briefed them about the human rights scenario. He also told the delegation that EU should take steps to play a role in facilitating the composite dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

"The EU delegations have been coming to Kashmir for the past two decades. They support composite dialogue, and resolution of Kashmir issue is in the agenda of the EU Parliament," Mirwaiz said.

Malik informed the delegation that people of Kashmir were committed to non-violent struggle for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

"I conveyed them last year at least 70 unarmed civilians were killed during peaceful protests and we stuck to the democratic peaceful principles. Now the international community including the EU was duty bound to respond to the peaceful aspirations of the people of Kashmir and take steps for the resolution of Kashmir issue," Malik said.

The EU delegation is headed by Ambassador of Sweden to India Olof Lindgren.

"Kashmir is an integral and important part of India and we (EU)wants a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue through talks between India, Pakistan and Kashmiris," said Lindgren, while talking to the reporters.

The other members of the EU delegation included European Union Ambassador Daniele Smajda; Ambassador of Spain, Lon Dela Riva; Ambassador of Belgium, Jean M. Debouller and Second Secretary of Sweden, Oscar Schlyter.

EU delegations keep on visiting Indian-controlled Kashmir and hold interactions with the local government, Indian army officials and separatists to understand the situation in the region.

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