Kashmir a bilateral issue: UK PM Boris Johnson tells PM Modi
London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made clear to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Kashmir remains a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan as far as the UK's view is concerned, during a telephone call between the two leaders.
The conversation, part of a series of similar telephone calls being undertaken by Johnson with world leaders since he took charge at Downing Street last month, covered the current situation in Kashmir alongside a discussion on the importance of the India-UK partnership.
"The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi discussed the current situation in Kashmir, a Downing Street spokesperson said in an official readout of the phone call on Tuesday.
"The Prime Minister made clear that the UK views the issue of Kashmir as one for India and Pakistan to resolve bilaterally. He underlined the importance of resolving issues through dialogue," the spokesperson said.
The conversation came against the backdrop of the Indian government revoking the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.
Regarding India-UK ties, Johnson and Modi agreed on the importance of the bilateral partnership and the need to build on it further, particularly through trade and economic relations and through the living bridge that links our countries .
"Prime Minister Modi said there are immense possibilities for the UK and India which would increase prosperity in both countries, the Downing Street spokesperson said.
The telephone conversation came ahead of the G7 meeting in France over the weekend, where the two leaders are scheduled to meet for the first time since Johnson became the UK Prime Minister. Therefore, their discussions also covered the summit in Biarritz and the issue of importance to both nations.
"Ahead of the G7, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi agreed on the importance of working together to tackle climate change and other threats to biodiversity. They looked forward to meeting at the summit this weekend to discuss this and other issues, the spokesperson added.
While the Downing Street readout of the conversation made no reference to any other issues discussed between the two leaders, the Prime Minister's Office in India said that the topics covered also included a fight against terrorism and violence.
Modi drew Johnson's attention to the challenges posed by vested interests pursuing their motivated agenda, including by violent means, the Prime Minister's Office in a statement said.
In this context, Prime Minister Modi referred to the violence and vandalism perpetrated by a large mob against the High Commission of India in London during Independence Day celebrations last week.
Johnson regretted the incident and assured that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure safety and security of the High Commission, its personnel and visitors, the statement said.
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Delhi's air quality 'very poor'
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi choked under a thick blanket of smog on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) settling at 332, in the 'very poor' category.
The air quality was 'very poor' at 30 stations while it was 'severe' at one station, Jahangirpuri, which recorded an AQI of 405.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.
Delhi's air quality is likely to remain in 'very poor' till Saturday. The outlook for the subsequent six days also states that the air is likely to remain in the very poor band, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).
The national capital's air quality settled at 8 degrees Celsius, 0.6 notches below normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The relative humidity was recorded at 100 per cent.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature during the day is expected to settle at 25 degrees Celsius.
