A fortnight after her comments on Kashmir in the presence of Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari upset India, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock called up external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday and the two decided to keep the conversation going.
The only official word about this telephone call was from Jaishankar who did not reveal much in his tweet. "Received a call from FM @ABaerbock of Germany. Discussed our bilateral relationship, sustainable development and the Ukraine conflict. Agreed to continue our conversations.’’
This is the first official contact between India and Germany since October 8 when New Delhi ticked off Berlin over Baerbock advocating UN intervention in finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue with Bhutto by her side.
Addressing a news conference along with Bhutto in Germany the previous day, Baerbock had said: ``I truly believe that every country in the world has a role and responsibility for solving conflicts and for ensuring that we are living in a peaceful world’’ when asked about Germany’s stance on Kashmir.
``It is also our responsibility to look at other regions with tensions or situation of war…. Germany also has a role and responsibility with regard to the situation of Kashmir. Therefore, we support intensively the engagement of the United Nations to find a peaceful solution in the region.’’ While lauding the fact that the ceasefire between the two countries is holding, she urged India and Pakistan to ``follow the track of the United Nations’’ and intensify the political dialogue.
India, in a sharp response, had said: ``All serious and conscientious members of the global community have a role and responsibility to call out international terrorism, especially of a cross-border nature’’ while flagging how Jammu & Kashmir has borne the brunt of cross-border terrorism.
"When states do not recognise such dangers, either because of self-interest or indifference, they undermine the cause of peace, not promote it. They also do grave injustice to the victims of terrorism."
