United Nations: India on Friday said that the country's national position was and remains that matters related to Article370 of the Indian Constitution is entirely an internal matter of India. Addressing the media here after a rare closed door meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss India revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Akbaruddin, India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN Security, said: "These have no external ramifications, the recent decisions taken by the government of India and our legislative bodies are intended to ensure that good governance is promoted, social economic development is enhance for our people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh."

India took preventive measures in Kashmir to stop terrorists bleeding our people, he said.

"We are committed to gradually removing all restrictions. Since the change is internal to India, it has not made any difference to our external orientation. India remains committed to ensure that the situation there (J&K) remains calm and peaceful," Akbaruddin said.

On the Chinese and Pakistani envoys briefing the media after the meeting, he said, "For the first time after the end of Security Council consultations, we noted that two states (China and Pakistan) who made national statements tried to pass them off as the will of the international community."
He said India is committed to gradually removing all restrictions in Kashmir.

He said India remains committed to ensure that the situation in Kashmir remains calm and peaceful. "We are committed to all the agreements that we have signed on this issue. We note that there were some who tried to project an alarmist approach to the situation, which is far from the ground realities."

"Of particular concern is that one state is using terminology of jihad and promoting violence in India, including by their leaders. Violence is no solution to the problems that all of us face," Akbaruddin said, taking a swipe at Pakistan.

Earlier in the day, Russia hoped that India and Pakistan would settle their differences bilaterally through political and diplomatic means, as the UNSC was set to meet to discuss the Kashmir issue.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, in tweets said that Moscow is good friends and partners with both New Delhi and Islamabad and would help both to "come to terms and have good neighbourly relations".

"#Russia continues to consistently promote normalisation of #India- #Pakistan ties. We hope that existing divergences around #Kasmir will be settled bilaterally by political and diplomatic means only on the basis of Simla Agreement of 1972 and Lahore declaration of 1999, in accordance with UN Charter, relevant UN resolutions and bilateral agreements between India and Pakistan.

"We are friends and good partners with both #India and #Pakistan and both peoples. We have no hidden agenda. So we will open-heartedly continue to engage with Islamabad and New Delhi in order to help both of them come to terms and have good neighbourly relations #Kashmir," he posted.

His statement came as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan dialled the US and other members of the Permanent Five, in order to present its case before the UNSC members before it meets to discuss the issue.

The UNSC is to hold a closed-doors meeting on Kashmir, despite Islamabad lobbying for a formal session in which it could present its case. The UNSC scheduled a closed-door consultation on "India/Pakistan" at the insistence of China, Pakistan's all-weather ally.