Trusted friend Russia backs India on Article 370

New Delhi: Despite challenges in the bilateral relationship in the past few years, India’s time-tested friend Russia has once again sprung to New Delhi’s defence on the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and revoking of Article 370, pointing out that “the change in the status of the state of J&K and its division into two union territories” has been “carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India”. This supports the Indian stand that the recent developments are an “internal matter” and within its “sovereign jurisdiction”.

Also by referring to the “provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999”, Moscow clearly backed India’s view that any discussions on Kashmir issue would have to be bilateral between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Becoming the first ‘P-5’ member to openly back New Delhi, India’s time-tested friend Russia has once again sprung to New Delhi’s defence on the bifurcation of J&K and revoking of Article 370, pointing out that “the change in the status of the state of J&K and its division into two union territories” has been “carried out within the framework of the Constitution”.

This supports the Indian stand that the recent developments are an “internal matter” of India and within its “sovereign jurisdiction”.

Russian diplomatic sources conveyed to this newspaper that Moscow is the first permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to completely back the Indian position after the latest developments.

Other permanent members of the UNSC (P-5) are  the United States, United Kingdom, France and China.

Also by referring to the “provisions of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999”, Moscow also clearly backed India’s view that any discussions on the Kashmir issue would have to be bilateral between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Against the backdrop of the aggressive stand taken by Islamabad, Moscow said it hoped India and Pakistan would “not allow aggravation” of the situation.

The Russian position comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to Vladivostok in Russia early next month to be the chief guest at the Eastern Economic Forum there, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian stand is also being seen as significant, given that Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and Pakistan has already announced it would challenge India’s J&K move before the UNSC.  

The Russian foreign ministry said, “Moscow expects that India and Pakistan will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by Delhi in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We proceed from the fact that the  changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and its division into two Union Territories are carried out within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India. We hope that the parties involved will not allow a new aggravation of the situation in the region as a result of the decisions.”

Moscow added, “Russia is a consistent supporter of the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan. We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis.”