India’s new FM seeks improved ties with Pakistan

India’s new External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he would try to strengthen ties with Pakistan. Interacting with media after his appointment as foreign minister, Khurshid said: “There are completely different perspectives on Pakistan and China. China is in that sense we are clearer about where we stand with China. We have had differences historically. I believe that with the passage of time and emergence of a new economic order in the world has brought China and India far closer together, working together but the potential of growth between China and India, I think is enormous.” Earlier on Saturday, Khurshid’s predecessor SM Krishna had observed that over the years he had seen a positive shift in the relationship of Pakistan and China with India. Khurshid also raised concerns over the political scenario in Pakistan. “As far as Pakistan is concerned, Pakistan has been in an extremely troubled situation in a very troubled part of the world and it is a neighbour and that is a concern for us as well. I think the convergence between India and Pakistan today is on issues that for long we insisted, those issues which were a major concern to India both in terms of our security and our dignity. “Many of those issues have now emerged in Pakistan itself and have become a concern for Pakistani establishment. So if there was ever, ever a convergent point on tackling these issues between India and Pakistan, it is there today,” he said. Khurshid said, “We want to be able to look at possible roots towards being able to work more closely together, be able to understand each other’s problems and to the extent that we can solve each other’s problems mutually and by convergence of opinion on both our countries. I think it is something that we should work towards.”