Never doubted India's policies on J&K: Russia

New Delhi: Backing the Indian government to the hilt, Russian ambassador Nikolay Kudashev on Friday said there was absolutely no reason for him to travel to Jammu and Kashmir to see the situation there since Russia has never doubted the government’s policies there, adding that it is an “internal matter belonging to the constitutional space of India” and “an issue which was settled some 60 years ago”.

He also added that the ambassador of Russia should not be associated “with any kind of opinion which will put India’s internal polity in doubt”.

The comment was made in response to a question on his absence from a 15-member foreign envoys’ delegation that had visited J&K a week ago. In response to another question on the informal discussions on the Kashmir issue that took place at the UN Security Council on Wednesday at China’s instance, the Russian envoy again expressed his country’s firm support for the Indian government, saying the Kashmir issue is a “bilateral matter” between India and Pakistan and therefore “there is not much to discuss under the aegis of the United Nations.   

On why he was not part of the foreign envoys’ delegation that visited J&K, Mr Kudashev said, “I do not feel there is a reason for me to travel. Your decision as far as J&K is concerned, this is your internal matter belonging to the constitutional space of India. This is an issue which was settled... some 60 years ago... We have repeated it (our views) multiple times. Those who believe this is an issue, those who are concerned about the situation in Kashmir, those who put in doubt Indian policies in Kashmir, they could travel if they wish to. They could see for themselves. We (Russia) never put it in doubt.”

The Russian ambassador also said he had not received an invite to be part of that delegation. Sources had told this newspaper earlier that a formal invitation was not sent by the Indian government since Russia had already conveyed its reluctance – during prior informal consultations — to be part of the delegation.

But the Russian ambassador’s remark — that if any country had doubts on the situation in Kashmir, they were free to travel there as part of a delegation — is being seen by some as a veiled barb at the United States whose ambassador Kenneth Juster was part of the 15-member foreign envoys’ delegation.

Observers point out that Russia — a time-tested friend of India for several decades — has been concerned about the growing proximity between India and the United States. Despite that, the US has been raising its concerns on the situation in Kashmir.

So far as the informal meeting of the UNSC on Wednesday to discuss the Kashmir issue is concerned, it may be recalled that Russia — a permanent member of the UNSC — had completely backed India along with the other UNSC member-nations with the exception of China. As already reported, 14 out of the 15 UNSC members had backed India’s position that it is a bilateral matter.