Europe Should Mediate in Kashmir Issue If India And Pakistan Want, Says EU MP Bernhard Zimniok During Visit to Valley

Srinagar, October 30: Bernhard Zimniok, a European Parliament member, who is a part of the delegation of Members of European Parliament (MEPs) visiting Jammu and Kashmir, said that if India and Pakistan want, Europe should act like a mediator to normalise the relation between the two nations. Zimniok, who represents the German far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD), is one of the 23 MEPs visiting Srinagar. According to a report by Indian Express, Zimniok on Tuesday said the European community should, if desired, act as an honest broker and mediator to promote peace between the two nations.

The report further adds that the group that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday included Zimniok. The EU MP was quoted in the Indian Express report saying, "PM Modi and I mainly talked about the conflict in Kashmir, but about the relationship between the EU and India as well.” The report adds that Zimniok's statement comes after repeated offers by US President Donald Trump’s to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.  EU Delegation to Visit Jammu & Kashmir Tomorrow: Full List of Members in the European Union Panel And Who Will They be Meeting.

This is the first foreign delegation to visit Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370 on August 5. On Tuesday, the delegation discussed with Indian officials a wide range of issues including the United Nations reform, peacekeeping, human rights and disarmament.

On Monday, members of the European Parliament met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi during which he expressed hope that they have a fruitful visit to Jammu and Kashmir. During their visit, the MEPs were taken to the Army's 15 Corps headquarters at Badami Bagh where top army commanders briefed them about the situation in Kashmir. The MEPs then took a 'shikara' ride on the Dal Lake, for about 20 minutes, before returning to their hotel. The Chief Secretary is hosting a dinner for them.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office had said that the delegation's visit to Jammu and Kashmir should give them a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity of the region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, apart from giving them a clear view of the development and government priorities of the region.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2019 09:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).