Russia’s support for the Simla Agreement comes amid Pakistan’s indication that it may suspend the accord, a move India has viewed with concern.
Focus on Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration
The 1972 Simla Agreement, signed after the Indo-Pak war, laid the foundation for peaceful bilateral engagement, affirming respect for the Line of Control (LoC) and non-interference in internal affairs. The 1999 Lahore Declaration echoed similar sentiments, promoting peaceful resolution of disputes and confidence-building.
Russia reiterated that these agreements should remain the framework for any future dialogue between the two neighbours. “S.V. Lavrov called for the settlement of disagreements between New Delhi and Islamabad by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Simla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999,” the statement added.
India stresses justice after Pahalgam Attack
The phone call between the two foreign ministers followed the deadly terror strike on 22 April in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where gunmen opened fire on a group of tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, initially claimed responsibility but later issued a denial. The incident is considered the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
Jaishankar, responding on social media, said: “Its perpetrators, backers and planners must be brought to justice. Also spoke about our bilateral cooperation activities.”
President Vladimir Putin had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that Russia expected the organisers and perpetrators of the attack to face “deserved punishment”.
Diplomatic fallout and India’s response
In the wake of the attack, India introduced several retaliatory measures. The government closed the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspended the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, and gave them 40 hours to leave the country. Both nations also agreed to reduce staff in their respective High Commissions.
Additionally, India suspended all categories of inbound mail and parcels from Pakistan via air and surface routes. “In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, India has decided to suspend exchange of all categories of all inbound mails and parcels from Pakistan through air and surface routes,” Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced. This was followed by a complete ban on imports and transit of goods from Pakistan, cutting off all direct and indirect trade routes.
Global voices joined in condemning the violence. During a press briefing on the state visit of Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, MEA Secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi said: “During the press briefing, there was a very strong message and also during the delegation level talks, President Lorenzo condemned the heinous cowardly act, terrorist act in Jammu and Kashmir and there was condemnation of it.”
India-Russia relations continue
Despite the regional instability, India and Russia discussed their future engagements. “The ministers discussed the schedule of upcoming contacts at the highest and high levels,” the Russian readout confirmed.
Putin is expected to visit India later this year for the annual summit. Modi had travelled to Moscow for the previous summit, and another meeting may take place at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, depending on Modi’s participation.
Russia is also working on organising a meeting between Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia for Ukraine peace talks. Meanwhile, India is expected to be represented by Deputy Defence Minister Sanjay Seth at the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow on 9 May, after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh cancelled his visit due to domestic priorities.
(With inputs from TOI)
