Stapled visas to Kashmiris not acceptable to India

News 24 bureau

Hanoi: That India is taking the issue of stapled visas given by China to Kashmiris very seriously, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asked it to be sensitive to India`s concerns during his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Premier Wen Jiabao here. Both giant powers of Asia have also agreed to work their way to solutions to the outstanding issues. Meanwhile, the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao would visit India in coming December to discuss outstanding issues with India. After meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Man mohan Singh here on Friday, it was decided that Chinese prime minister would visit India.

Both prime ministers also agreed that there was enough space in the world for both the countries to grow and they should cooperate and collaborate.

Manmohan Singh raised the issue of all difficult questions and showing sensitivity to each other...The Prime Minister spoke of the need to show sensitivity to each other's core issues. It may be recalled that China has been giving visas to people of Jammu and Kashmir on loose sheets of paper instead of passports, an action seen by India as questioning its sovereignty. The matter snowballed into a major controversy in July this year when Beijing wanted to give such a visa to India`s Northern Area Commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal.

India responded by suspending high-level defence exchanges for which Lt Gen Jaswal was travelling to Beijing and has repeatedly made it clear that these will remain on "pause" till China reverts to its position on the issue.

 

 

 

DEEPAK KUMAR

PGDM

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