Can't give timeline for Masood Azhar's listing as global terrorist at EU: German envoy

Germany is "very much" pushing for the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the European Union (EU), but a timeline for it cannot be given, Jasper Wieck, the Deputy Head of the German Mission in India, said on Tuesday, April 16

He said Germany is hopeful that at a certain stage, Azhar will be designated as a global terrorist at the United Nations too. 

"We are working on it... We still have hope that the listing will take place at the United Nations at a certain stage and that would be a better solution.

READ:  China And US At Loggerheads Over Bid To Designate Masood Azhar As Terrorist By The UN, Beijing Responds To Washington's 'all Available Resources' Effort

"In the short-term, we are working on this within the European Union. I cannot give you an exact timeline on how it will be done, but Germany is among those who are very much pushing for this," Wieck said at a press conference.

"What is important is to know that even if it did not work out at the UN when we tried a couple of weeks ago, we should not give up hope that we will succeed in this endeavour in the next round at the UN," he said. 

In March, Germany initiated a move at the EU to designate Azhar as a global terrorist, days after China blocked a bid at the UN to designate him so. Germany is in touch with several EU member-nations in this regard.

READ: China Claims Positive Progress Made To Resolve Issue Of Listing Masood Azhar As Global Terrorist By UN

All the 28 member-countries of the EU will have to support the move as the bloc decides on such issues under the principle of consensus, sources had earlier said.

On March 15, France imposed financial sanctions on Azhar and stated that it would work with its European partners to put the JeM chief's name on the EU list of persons and entities involved in terror acts.