BEIJING – While noticing appointment of new head of United NationsMilitary Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), a Chinese foreignministry’s spokesperson Friday hoped that India and Pakistan to continue toconduct calm and proper handling of relevant issues through dialogue andconsultation.

“As a common neighbor and friend of Pakistan and India, China hopes thatthe two sides will continue to conduct calm and proper handling of relevantissues through dialogue and consultation,” Lu Kang said during his regularbriefing while responding to a question asked by APP.

The spokesman also hoped that the South Asian neighbours would worktogether for maintaining peace and stability in the region.“The two sides will work together to maintain peace and stability in SouthAsia,” he added.When asked to comment on the announcement of UN Secretary-General AntonioGuterres for the appointment of Major General Jose Eladio Alcain of Uruguayas head of mission and chief military observer for the UNMOGIP, he said,“We have noticed relevant reports.”

Alcain will succeed Major General Per Gustaf Lodin of Sweden, who willcomplete his two-year assignment in July 2018.

Pakistan has been urging India to allow UNMOGIP play its mandated role tomonitor ceasefire violations on Line of Control (LoC) and the WorkingBoundary as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

The UN’s military mission is only able to operate on the Pakistani side ofthe Line of Control (LoC), as India refuses to accept its functioning onthe other side and opposes its expansion.

India in July 2014 had asked UNMOGIP, set up in 1949, to wind up its workin Kashmir and vacate a government-provided bungalow in New Delhi.The UN mission has its main offices in the Indian occupied Kashmir capitalSrinagar on the Indian side and in the Pakistani capital Islamabad as partof a UN Security Council resolution to supervise the ceasefire in theregion.