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ShareSrinagar: New Delhi on Tuesday won a victory over Pakistan when European Union (EU) diplomats endorsed India's position, saying "J&K is an integral part of India".
"That (Kashmir is an integral part of India) is the opinion of the European Union and we don't need to discuss it here. That is our opinion and that is the starting point of the discussion," Lars Olof Lindgren, leader of the five-member EU fact finding team to Srinagar, said in reply to a question whether EU considers Kashmir to be a part of India.
Lindgren's statement, made at the residence of moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, is sure to spread smiles in New Delhi's diplomatic circles.
It has been a ritual for the EU delegation to visit Kashmir on the fact-finding mission, but this is the first time they have openly reiterated what India has been saying for so long. The statement comes at a time when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in the US meeting President Barack Obama.The statement also assumes significance in view of China upping the ante by terming Kashmir as disputed and issuing separate stapled visas for people of the state.
The EU statement was enough to cause embarrassment to the moderate Hurriyat chief, who tried to put a brave face to the media later. "They (EU) do not want to disturb their relations with India, but we expect them to tell India to resolve Kashmir issue through peaceful dialogue."
Mirwaiz, however, tried to give a different twist to the statement by saying they are EU ambassadors based in India. "The fact of the matter is that EU considers Kashmir a disputed territory, which is the reason they are here," he said. Earlier, the delegation met JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik at his residence. Malik told them that Kashmiris are the important party to the dispute and should be included in the dialogue process.
