Indian foreign minister shuts US senator down on Kashmir

INDIA’S External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave a firm repartee to a senior US senator that India will "settle" the Kashmir issue on its own when the American lawmaker brought up the subject at the ongoing Munich Security Conference.

Referring to the Kashmir issue during a panel discussion, Senator Lindsey Graham said the best way to sell democracy will be to settle the Kashmir issue in a democratic way.

"In India, you are moving forward, you got your problems like we do at home, but you've chosen the democratic path,” the Republican leader said.

“When it comes to Kashmir, I don't know how it ends, but let's make sure that two democracies will end it differently. If you can prove that concept here, then I think that's probably the best way to sell democracy."

To this, Jaishankar promptly responded, "Do not worry, Senator. One democracy will settle it and you know which one."

During the discussion, Jaishankar also said that the UN was far less credible than it had been in history and "something" should be done about it.

"When you think about it, there are not too many things which are 75 years old and still as good as they were. Clearly there is something that needs to be done there."

He also also spoke about "westlessness" and multilateralism at the panel discussion.

"Clearly multilateralism has become weaker, and clearly westlessness is in evidence and I would suggest that there is a correlation between the two,” said Jaishankar.

“It is not to say that multilateralism is solely dependent on the West, or that the West has been faithfully multilateral."

The erudite minister highlighted that the global political rebalancing is underway and made a case for greater western flexibility.

"Multilateralism can today be strengthened by more creative diplomacy and plurilateral understanding," he said.

The Munich Security Conference, being held here from February 14-16, is the world's leading forum for debate on international security policy.