Tag: United Nations General Assembly

  • India rebukes Pak for raising Kashmir issue in UN assenbly

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  India has rebuked Pakistan for raking up the issue of Kashmir in the United Nations General Assembly. “Pakistan’s desperate attempts to peddle falsehoods and bad habit of abusing the sanctity of multilateral forums deserves collective contempt and perhaps some sympathy as well,” said Pratik Mathur, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Headquarters.

    Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India, he said. Meanwhile, after the UNGA opened its annual debate on Security Council reforms, speakers once again renewed their appeals for enlarging the 15-member organisation and updating its working methods to make it more transparent, inclusive, representative, accountable and effective.

    India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj spoke on behalf of the Group of Four, which also comprises Brazil, Germany and Japan. “Representation is an inescapable precondition for legitimacy and effectiveness and the longer Security Council reform is stalled, the greater would be its deficiency in representation,” said Kamboj.

    She voiced her regret over the lack of substantive work after four decades on equitable representation. The United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward at UNGA backed permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil at the UNSC. “We support the creation of new permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil, as well as permanent African representation on the UNSC,” said Ambassador Woodward.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan has made a strong case against creating new permanent seats on the UN Security Council, saying instead an increase in the number of non-permanent members would make the 15-member body more representative, democratic and effective.

    NEW DELHI:  India has rebuked Pakistan for raking up the issue of Kashmir in the United Nations General Assembly. “Pakistan’s desperate attempts to peddle falsehoods and bad habit of abusing the sanctity of multilateral forums deserves collective contempt and perhaps some sympathy as well,” said Pratik Mathur, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Headquarters.

    Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India, he said. Meanwhile, after the UNGA opened its annual debate on Security Council reforms, speakers once again renewed their appeals for enlarging the 15-member organisation and updating its working methods to make it more transparent, inclusive, representative, accountable and effective.

    India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj spoke on behalf of the Group of Four, which also comprises Brazil, Germany and Japan. “Representation is an inescapable precondition for legitimacy and effectiveness and the longer Security Council reform is stalled, the greater would be its deficiency in representation,” said Kamboj.

    She voiced her regret over the lack of substantive work after four decades on equitable representation. The United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward at UNGA backed permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil at the UNSC. “We support the creation of new permanent seats for India, Germany, Japan and Brazil, as well as permanent African representation on the UNSC,” said Ambassador Woodward.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan has made a strong case against creating new permanent seats on the UN Security Council, saying instead an increase in the number of non-permanent members would make the 15-member body more representative, democratic and effective.

  • Yoga has gained tremendous popularity globally: PM Modi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the eighth International Yoga Day on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that yoga has gained tremendous popularity globally.

    People from different walks of life including leaders, CEOs, sportspersons and actors regularly practice yoga and talk about how it has helped them, he said in a tweet.

    Modi also posted a video which highlighted various details and benefits of the ancient Indian practice and also carried snippets of his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. Subsequently, June 21 was adopted as International Yoga Day.

  • Diplomacy paves the way for evacuation of Indians in Ukraine

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: India has abstained on a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that deplored Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on Wednesday. It had twice earlier abstained from voting against Russia in the UNSC.

    While countries like the US have been urging India to vote against Russia, it is India’s decision to abstain that has facilitated the evacuation of Indians stranded in Ukraine. More than 60 per cent of Indians are out of Ukraine. And if the evacuation process goes as per plan then most Indians should be out before the end of this week, say sources.

    Prime Minister Modi has had two telephonic exchanges with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin since February 24th since the outbreak of the war. PM Modi’s main concern was the safe passage and evacuation of Indians stranded in Ukraine, besides de-escalation of the hostility between the two countries.Four senior ministers (Hardeep Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju and R K Singh) are already stationed in the bordering countries of Western Ukraine overseeing the evacuation process.

    In the UNGA, out of the 193 member nations 141 countries voted in favour of the resolution against Russia, five voted against and there were 35 abstentions (including India).

    “India has been deeply concerned over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ukraine and the ensuing humanitarian crisis. We demand safe and uninterrupted passage for all Indian nationals including our students, who are stranded in Ukraine particularly Kharkhiv and other cities in conflict zones. We have reiterated this demand to both the Russian Federation and Ukraine. This remains our foremost priority,” said T S Tirumurthi, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, in his explanation of vote while abstaining from adoption of resolution on Ukraine yesterday.

    Meanwhile, India has dispatched humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. This includes medicines, medical equipment and other relief material. More tranches will be sent in the coming days.

    “We remain firm in our conviction that differences can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. PM Modi has unequivocally conveyed this in his discussions with world leaders including the Russian Federation and Ukraine,” Ambassador Tirumurthi said. Meanwhile, Indian Air Force transport aircraft along with private carriers like Air India, Spicejet and Indigo are also evacuating Indians from the bordering countries of Ukraine – Romania, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

    “I will not leave till the last Indian is safely evacuated from Ukraine,’” said Union Law Minister Kiren Rijju from Slovakia.

    With these efforts, we are hopeful that all Indians reach back safely and there is anend to the ongoing conflict.