The European Commission (EC) believes that a peaceful settlement between India and Pakistan on the issue of Kashmir "will bring tremendous benefit to the region as well as to the wider world." "Thank you very much for your letter dated 1 June addressed on the situation in Kashmir."
This was written in a letter dated, July 25, 2007 on Kashmir issue, by the EC's External Relations Directorate General addressing the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso thanking the Executive Director of the Kashmiri-Canadian Council (KCC), Mushtaq A Jeelani.
The letter wrote that India and Pakistan had declared a cease-fire across the "Berlin Wall" within the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir in November 2003, and later launched a peace process committed to resolve the Kashmir issue. However, to the date there has not been any significant progress on in this regard.
The EC letter says, "the European Union (EU) has welcomed the initiation of a composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, which will hopefully lead to a peaceful settlement of all bilateral issues, including Kashmir. It is my firm belief that both countries must address their differences through dialogue. It is encouraging that a number of confidence building measures have been launched In connection."
Jeelani had underlined that the Kashmiris' demand is simple and in accordance with the international law. The implementation of the UN resolutions should be through a plebiscite to determine the future status of the disputed region in a peaceful and democratic way. Regardless of outcome, it will be impartial and binding for all the three parties - India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. Moreover, it will help to bridge the difference between Islamabad and New Delhi and would go a long way towards building peace and security in South Asia. Most of all, this will start a new era of coexistence between India and Pakistan.