Conflict

On Kashmir, ready to provide contributions ‘within mandate, if requested’: UNGA president-elect

Srinagar: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president-elect Volkan Bozkir on Monday said if both India and Pakistan would come together and request him, he is ready to help both the countries within his mandate to resolve their differences on Kashmir dispute.

He stated that solving the Kashmir issue was key to sustainable peace in South Asia. “Regional security should be maintained through political and diplomatic solutions. Difficult challenges can be resolved through meaningful, mutual engagement,” Bozkir said during the press conference.

He stated that both the prime ministers and the foreign ministers had presented their approach to the issue during today’s meetings.

Bozkir said that for him, it was “worth coming, to hear from my own ears and to see with my own eyes how the situation is and to understand it better so that when it comes to the UN level, it will not be by reading notes”.

“So if my assistance as the president of the General Assembly is requested by the parties, I will be ready to provide contributions within my mandate, he said.

However, New Delhi’s long-held position has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there is no question of any mediation or intervention by any third party.

Bozkir was slated to visit Pakistan on July 26-27 but the visit was postponed citing ‘some technical flight problems.”

He also said that “regional security should be maintained through political and diplomatic means”. He added that all issues should be resolved peacefully through meaningful mutual engagements.

Bozkir comments came after he held detailed talks with Qureshi on different issues, including Kashmir.

The UNGA president-elect arrived in Islamabad on Sunday on a two-day visit at the invitation of the government of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, talking about his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Bozkir called him “a well-known political figure in the world” who has a vision for the region and the world.

Khan during his meeting with Bozkir said the UN should play its role in addressing the situation in Kashmir. He also expressed the hope that the 75th Session of the UNGA would accord priority to these issues, which affect billions around the world.

 

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