UN Security Council meets over Kashmir tonight after China push

The United Nations Security Council will hold a second closed-door meeting on Kashmir tonight in New York, reports NDTV.

The meeting, came after China, acting on behalf of Pakistan, pushed for a discussion on Kashmir at the United Nations Security Council's closed-door meeting later this evening, the third such attempt over the last six months.

A similar effort by China had been thwarted just a month ago when France and other permanent members of the Security Council had then persuaded Beijing to withdraw its note to seek a meeting on Kashmir on the grounds that the body was not the best forum to discuss the issue.

French diplomatic sources confirmed that a UNSC member had proposed to raise the issue of Kashmir again.

"France's position has not changed and is very clear: the Kashmir issue must be settled bilaterally – as we have stated on several occasions and will continue to reiterate to our partners on the United Nations Security Council," a French diplomatic source said.

China, which claims the Ladakh region, has opposed the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories after the Centre last year abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to the former state. India maintains that the change in Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter that doesn't affect external boundaries.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Kashmir issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying Paris continues to track developments in the region closely.