New Delhi: The Indian government has strongly rejected the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the EU-Pakistan joint statement issued during EU foreign policy chief Kaza Kailash’s visit to Islamabad this week and said people who have no authority over such matters should refrain from commenting on them.According to the joint statement, Pakistan and the EU briefed each other on Russia’s war against Jammu and Kashmir and Ukraine respectively, expressing support for peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We categorically reject such inappropriate references in the joint press release on internal affairs of India. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India.”Kailash’s visit to Pakistan comes amid Islamabad’s ongoing efforts to play a peacemaker role in the US-Iran conflict and India’s own efforts to enhance ties with Brussels over the past few years, culminating in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. Apart from the US, European powers like France and Italy have supported Pakistan’s mediation efforts in West Asia.Kailash described Pakistan as a major regional power and an important partner for the EU.Kailash, who met both Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir, said, “I appreciated Pakistan for its important role in facilitating the US-Iran talks.”