India Plans to Hold G20 Meetings in Ladakh Despite China, Pakistan's Objections, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - India, which will obtain a rotating G20 presidency in 2023, plans to hold several meetings in the Ladakh border area despite China and Pakistan raising objections earlier against scheduling some events in Jammu and Kashmir, media reported.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh R. K. Mathur sanctioned appointments of an Indian Administrative Service officer and a police officer to coordinate with the country's foreign ministry for a preparation of the 2023 G20 summit, the Deccan Herald news outlet said on Wednesday.

The main G20 events are expected to take place in New Delhi, the report said.

In 2019, the Indian government announced its decision to strip the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir region of its special status and split it into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The decision provoked a harsh reaction from neighboring Pakistan, which claimed that New Delhi was mistreating the region's Muslim population that was fighting for its rights. India, in turn, has accused Islamabad of backing separatists, who allegedly undermine the region's security.

India controls the southern part of the Kashmir region, while Pakistan and China occupy its northwestern and northeastern parts, respectively.