Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has spoken to his Indian counterpart amid fears of an escalation between the South Asian neighbors
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on India and Pakistan to resolve their differences through diplomatic efforts, in a phone conversation with Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar on Saturday.
According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation as well as the rising tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad following a terrorist attack near Pahalgam in India’s Jammu and Kashmir union territory, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
“Lavrov urged a settlement of disagreements between New Delhi and Islamabad by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the 1972 Simla Agreement and the 1999 Lahore Declaration,” the statement reads.
The Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration are historical frameworks under which India and Pakistan previously agreed to resolve disputes through peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding.
The conversation follows a recent rise in India-Pakistan tensions after the terrorist attack, which New Delhi has blamed on Islamabad, accusing it of supporting cross-border terrorism. The incident has heightened diplomatic tensions between the two nuclear-powered states and raised concerns over a possible military escalation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu over the attack, condemning the act of terrorism.
“There can be no justification for this brutal crime. We expect that its sponsors and perpetrators will be duly punished,” Putin wrote hours after reports of the attack emerged. “I would like to reiterate the readiness for further strengthening of cooperation with the Indian partners in the fight against all forms and manifestations of terrorism.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Wednesday that Modi will not be among the foreign guests attending the World War II Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on May 9.
Sources close to the Indian government previously told RT that the country would instead be represented by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. However, Indian media reported on Friday that Singh may not attend the Victory Day celebrations either, due to the ongoing tensions back home. The minister of state for defense, Sanjay Seth, is now expected to represent India at the event.
The schedule of “upcoming high-level and top-level contacts” was also discussed by Lavrov and Jaishankar, the Foreign Ministry said.
