Correspondent
New Delhi, September 30: India on Tuesday rejected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reference to Jammu and Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly, asserting that the issue concerns India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and that no external party has any locus standi on it.
“We reject the unwarranted references to Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir made by the President of Türkiye during his UNGA address,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
“This is a matter, as you would understand, pertaining to India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and no external party has any locus standi on this issue,” he said.
Erdogan had referred to Kashmir while speaking at the UNGA and said disputes in South Asia, including Kashmir, should be resolved in accordance with the UN Charter.
Responding to questions on the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) joint statement issued after a foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Jaiswal said the statement reflected the collective views of the three countries on economic, development and political issues.
On India’s position on Palestine, he said New Delhi continues to stand for a two-state solution.
India Raises Concerns Over US Tariff Legislation
On the reported 100 per cent tariff legislation in the United States, Jaiswal said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had met a US Congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast on Sunday.During the meeting, various bilateral issues were discussed, including India’s concerns regarding the SRIA legislation and its possible implications for bilateral relations and the international energy market.
Jaiswal said the Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s concerns about the potential impact on the bilateral relationship as well as on energy conditions in international markets.
163 Indian Seafarers on 12 Ships in Persian Gulf
The spokesperson said six India-flagged commercial vessels are currently in the Persian Gulf, west of Hormuz, along with six foreign-flagged vessels carrying cargo to India and considered to be of Indian interest.
Together, the 12 vessels have around 163 Indian seafarers on board. In addition, more than 4,500 Indian seafarers are serving on various commercial vessels operating in the area.
Jaiswal said the Ministry of Shipping continues to monitor the movement of the vessels and the well-being of Indian seafarers, with Indian embassies and other stakeholders providing assistance as required.
Ganga Water Treaty Talks Continue
On the India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty, Jaiswal said matters relating to shared rivers would be discussed through the Joint Rivers Commission.
He added that technical-level meetings concerning the Ganga Water Treaty have continued. Jaiswal also said he had no information regarding reports of a possible National Security Adviser visit to Dhaka.
Get real time update about this post category directly on your device, subscribe now.
