France is closely following the situation in Kashmir, the French government said on Monday and noted that the issue was discussed during a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron three days ago.
A statement issued by Elys Palace said the two leaders discussed the situation in the region of Kashmir in the “spirit of trust and frankness” that characterises bilateral ties. “The French President and the Indian Prime Minister discussed the situation in the region of Kashmir, which France continues to follow closely,” the statement released here by the French Embassy said.
A statement issued by the Indian government on Friday after talks between Modi and Macron did not mention Kashmir. “The two leaders exchanged views on a range of issues of mutual interest in bilateral relations as well as regional and global situations,” the statement by the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Last week, the government took a group of 15 foreign envoys to Jammu and Kashmir to “see the efforts to bring back normalcy in the region” after abrogation of Article 370, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Envoys from European countries were not part of the group.
Views on West Asia
The French statement said Mr. Macron and Mr. Modi expressed their shared view on the necessity of de-escalation of tension in West Asia, adding that they agreed to work together towards easing tensions by urging the parties to show restraint and responsibility.
The region is witnessing increasing tensions after Major General Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite al-Quds force, was killed in a U.S. drone strike. Iran retaliated by targeting U.S. bases in Iraq with missile attacks. It said the two leaders expressed their interest in pursuing the strengthening of their partnership in military and civil nuclear fields as well as enhancing their operational cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
“They reiterated their attachment to the full implementation of the goals defined during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Chantilly on August 22, 2019 and India’s participation in the Biarritz G7 Summit,” it said.
“They agreed on the interest in intensifying ministerial visits in both countries in the course of this year,” the statement said. Mr. Modi visited Chantilly in northern France in August for bilateral talks with Mr. Macron, just before the G7 Summit in Biarritz.
