Respect UN resolutions on Cyprus: Jaishankar
WASHINGTON: Hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a reference to Kashmir in his address to the UN General Assembly, external affairs minister S Jaishankar emphasised the need to adhere to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions with respect to Cyprus.
“Important that relevant UN Security Council resolutions in respect of Cyprus are adhered to by all,” Jaishankar tweeted after a meeting with Nikos Christodoulides, the foreign minister of the Republic of Cyprus, on the sidelines of the UN general assembly’s general debate that kicked off Tuesday.
Jaishankar, who arrived in New York on Monday to participate in the high-level 76th session of the UN General Assembly, has held at least 18 bilateral meetings with counterparts from countries, including UK, France, Australia, Egypt, Norway, South Korea and Vietnam. On Wednesday, he was also scheduled to attend a meeting of the G-20 foreign ministers on Afghanistan and of the G-4, which is seeking permanent seats for India, Brazil, Japan and Germany on the UNSC.
Jaishankar met his South Korean counterpart Chung Euiyong and had wide-ranging conversations on different aspects of the bilateral relationships, including Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy. “Pleased to meet FM Chung Eui-yong of the Republic of Korea. A wideranging conversation on different aspects of our relationship. Rok’s New Southern Policy and India’s Act East Policy have strengthened our convergence in the Indo-pacific,” he tweeted.
While interacting with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, who is the current G20 chair, Jaishankar discussed challenges related to vaccine accessibility and smooth travel. “Discussed challenges related to vaccine accessibility and smooth travel. Look forward to joining him at a discussion on Afghanistan tomorrow,” he tweeted.
The Union minister also met with his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto and discussed the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Jaishankar held a discussion on the Indo-pacific issues during his meeting with his Chilean counterpart Andres Allamand. “Another perspective on the Indo-pacific from FM @allamand of Chile. Also engaged on expanding our economic engagement, including on green energy,” he tweeted.
Earlier, in his address to the General Debate on Tuesday, Erdogan had said, “We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions.”
Erdogan had raised Kashmir also in his address in 2019, which was the last in-person meeting of the general assembly. At that time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reiterated India’s support for “independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity” of island nation after a meeting with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades. Cyprus backs India’s claims to a permanent seat in the UNSC.
The long ongoing conflict in Cyprus began in 1974 when Turkey invaded its northern part in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Greek government. India has been advocating a peaceful resolution of the issue in accordance with the UN resolutions.