Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-16-Speech-4-219"
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"en.20000316.7.4-219"2
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"Mr President, I am as delighted as others are that we are having this debate today for the first time in our elected parliament in this session. It is long overdue, for the reasons which our previous speakers have already underlined. Relations between India and Pakistan are indeed deteriorating, with Kashmir being a particular bone of contention. Tensions are also being aggravated by the fact that these two countries are nuclear powers. Indeed, in the Herald Tribune of Tuesday, March 14, 2000, the headline reads: “Nuclear war between India and Pakistan is a real possibility”.
For this reason alone, supported also by the well-known UN resolutions and the reference which has already been made to the constant violation of human rights, Kashmir is no longer a problem that can be swept under the carpet and not debated in this Parliament, as has happened for many years. It is increasingly an international problem and one where mediation will, in my view, become essential.
So what can we do to bring long-term stability to this volatile region? We discussed this issue when we met with members of the US Congress in our normal framework of delegations earlier this year. The US is in favour of arbitration, but it strikes me that, when President Clinton visits these two countries next week, India should be asked to come to the negotiating table so that, together with Pakistan, it can find a long-term settlement to this Kashmir question.
Equally, the European Union should, when formulating policy towards South-East Asia, raise the profile of this issue in order that we in the Foreign Affairs Committee can have a more substantive reason to have a debate in our Chamber in a few months’ time. As these two approaches are made, this two-pronged approach by the European Union and the United States is, in my view, the best way to start the process for long-term peace and stability in this region."@en1
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