MOSCOW: The Soviets have made it clear to Pakistan that there was no question of third countries or parties involving themselves in the Kashmir issue, according to informed sources.
The only method of resolving the issue was within the framework of the 1972 Shimla agreement, foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze told Iqbal Akhund, special envoy of Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto early this week, the sources said.
The Soviet foreign minister said the Indian leadership had shown fixed determination on this path.
Shevardnadze also told Akhund that any question of tension over Kashmir resulting in conflict was totally inadmissible. This was particularly so in terms of improving the climate in international relations, he added.
He reminded Akhund of the principle of non-interference in the other’s affairs.
Shevardnadze was responding to Akhund’s presentation of Pakistani viewpoint on developments over Kashmir.
Akhund was here as part of the Pakistani campaign to win support for its viewpoint and observers find from the Soviet’s stand that the special envoy had limited success in his mission.
The official Soviet news agency Tass in its report on the meeting between Shevardnadze and Akhund had said the Soviet foreign minister expressed confidence that Pakistani and Indian leaders by joint efforts would find a way out.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 2, 1990
