India expresses regret over Turkey and Malaysia's remark on Kashmir at UNGA

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday expressed regret over Malaysia and Turkey's remark on Kashmir at UNGA. The MEA called upon the governments of both countries to get a proper understanding of the matter before making any further statements on it.

New Delhi: Expressing regret over remarks made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad on Kashmir at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last week, MEA called upon the leadership of both countries to get a proper understanding of the issue before making further remarks.

Taking a line from Pakistani leadership, Turkish President Erodgan in his address not only called for a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue but also blamed the International community for not paying enough heed on it.

On this, invoking historical ties between India and Turkey, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "We deeply regret that since August 6, there have been repeated statements from Turkish government on a matter which is completely an internal issue of India."

Similarly, expressing regret over Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad's remarks, who went on to accuse India of invading and occupying Jammu and Kashmir, the MEA called upon governments of both countries to get a proper understanding of the matter before making any further statements on it.

"Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession like all other princely states. Pakistan invaded and illegally occupied parts of the state. The Government of Malaysia should bear in mind the friendly relations between the two countries and desist from making such remarks,” Kumar said.

Apart from China and Turkey, Malaysia has been supporting Pakistan's argument on Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 by the government of India on August 5. It is to be noted that Malaysia is India's 10th largest trading partner. The intensity of the bilateral ties can be understood from the fact that the bilateral trade target of $15 billion set for 2020 was achieved in 2018-19 itself.