France snubs China over Kashmir

France has taken note of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) member's request to raise the Kashmir issue again in the council. However, the country's position remains 'unchanged' and the matter must be settled bilaterally between New Delhi and Islamabad, French diplomatic sources said.

Hyderabad: France has snubbed China again over its Kashmir rhetoric on Wednesday. "France has noted the request of a UNSC member to raise the Kashmir issue again in this body. France’s position is unchanged- Kashmir issue must be settled bilaterally as we have stated on several occasions & will continue to reiterate to our partners on UNSC," diplomatic sources said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Radio Pakistan reported that the UNSC will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Kashmir.

In December last year, France had vetoed the move to convene a meeting on Kashmir. That meeting had been called by China after Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a letter to the UNSC on December 12, had expressed concern over a possible further escalation of tension between New Delhi and Islamabad after India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.

The UNSC had met on Kashmir in August last year, the first such meeting in decades after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

In the meeting, China had strongly criticised the move to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.