Norway's ex-PM meets separatist leaders in Srinagar

Bondevik, who was Norway’s Pime Minister until 2005,  is currently the head of the Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights.

The meeting with Hurriyat leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq took place at Geelani’s Hyderpora residence and was facilitated by spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living, reported The Indian Express.

“When we received a call a day before the visit, we were surprised. This is our first such meeting with a foreign dignitary in six years. New Delhi had always objected to any such visit to us and for some time now, foreign diplomats would also hesitate to meet us,’’ Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told The Sunday Express. “It is clear that this visit was possible only after the go-ahead by New Delhi. Sri Sri Ravishankar’s representative was accompanying the former Norwegian PM."

“He (Bondevik) told us that the main purpose of his visit is to assess the situation on the ground. We explained our viewpoint to him. We don’t know what will be the outcome of this initiative. But we are hopeful that this leads to a meaningful beginning between the two countries, especially at a time when the opening of the Kartarpur corridor has been the first such positive measure taken by the two countries in some time now,” he said.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recently tweeted pictures from the meeting and said Bondevik was urged to help in ending the daily killings and urgent resolution of the festering Kashmir dispute.

He tweeted: "Fruitful meeting of JRL with Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik, Ex Prime Minister of Norway. As Norway is known to play a constructive role in conflict resolution across the globe urged Mr Bondevik to help in ending the daily killings and urgent resolution of the festering Kashmir dispute."