By TRH World Desk
Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal says the EU-Pakistan communiqué echoes Islamabad’s narrative on Jammu and Kashmir, raising concerns in New Delhi over the issue’s internationalization.
New Delhi, June 2, 2026 — European Union’s high representative on foreign affairs and security Kaja Kallas seems to have put India-EU relations in a spot by becoming a party to Pakistani narrative on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. On her visit to Islamabad, EU-Pakistan statement has made reference to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir along with Ukraine, calling for “peaceful negotiations under the charter of the UN.”
That Kallas made EU a party to Pakistan’s long-standing bid to internationalize the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is inviting scrutiny in New Delhi’s diplomatic circle. India rejects Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir as a foreign policy.
“The EU-Pakistan joint communiqué issued after Kaja Kallas’ visit to Pakistan contains the following paragraph: ‘The Pakistan side briefed on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. The EU side briefed on Russia’s war against Ukraine. Both sides expressed support to peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” wrote Kanwal Sibal in a post on X.
This paragraph has many very objectionable elements, Sibal added.
“By accepting this language in the text, the EU accepts that Jammu and Kashmir is an international issue that can legitimately figure in a joint statement between Pakistan and a third party,” stated Sibal, who has served as India’s foreign secretary.
He further stated that “the implication is that Jammu and Kashmir remains an unsettled issue territorially.”
“India’s clear position is that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India,” added Sibal. India as a foreign policy rejects involvement of a third country on matters involving Pakistan. But Islamabad has often sought to rope in European and Islamic nations to internationalise “the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“Worse, an equivalence between Ukraine and J& K is established. If Pakistan briefs Kaja Kallas on the Kashmir issue, she briefs Pakistan on the Ukraine issue. The EU is also terming J&K as a conflict, which is Pakistan’s formulation,” added Sibal.
The EU is also accepting that the J& K conflict should be resolved in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter, added the former diplomat.
“Even the Chinese formulation contains a reference to bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan. By bracketing J&K and Ukraine, Kaja Kallas willingly have upped that option and played Pakistan’s game,” wrote Sibal.
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