In phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UK PM Boris Johnson says ‘resolve Kashmir through dialogue’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson discuss Kashmir issue.
New Delhi: British government has said that it sees Kashmir as a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, underlining the need for dialogue between the two neighbours. The same was communicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Tuesday afternoon.
A statement released by the UK government said, “The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir. The Prime Minister made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir is one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally. He underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue.”
Both the leaders will be present at the G7 summit, which is slated to take place in France over the weekend and “ahead of the G7, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi agreed on the importance of working together to tackle climate change and other threats to biodiversity”, the UK government readout added.
The issues of terror and trade were also discussed during the phone call, with Prime Minister Modi highlighting how terrorism had plagued all parts of the world, including India and Europe.
During the conversation, Prime Minister Modi also raised the issue of violent protests that took place outside the Indian mission by Pakistani and Khalistani groups on Independence Day.
According to a statement by New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi “drew attention to the challenges posed by vested interests pursuing their motivated agenda, including by violent means”.
“In this context he referred to the violence and vandalism perpetrated by a large mob against the High Commission of India in London on the last Independence Day of India,” the statement further read.
The British Prime minister has regretted the incident and assured the safety of the Indian mission.
The readout said, Prime Minister Johnson “assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of the High Commission, its personnel and visitors”.
Thousands of protestors from Pakistani and Khalistani groups in London clashed outside the Indian high commission on August 15, even as the authorities tried to control the mob. Four people were arrested by the London authorities while one person was injured in the incident.
Though the Indian mission was informed that protest would take place and was asked to take all precautionary measures, the scale at which it took place and dramatic visuals that were seen left many members of Indian diaspora shocked.
India has already taken up with the United Kingdom the issue of the violent protests and conveyed its concerns on how the security of the mission was undermined.