NEW DELHI – The Indian government will seek a peaceful resolution of all issues with Pakistan through talks as long as Islamabad does not allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against India, Indian President Pratibha Patil said on Monday.
“With Pakistan, we seek a peaceful resolution of issues through a meaningful dialogue as long as Pakistan does not allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against India,” PTI quoted her as saying in her address to a joint sitting of parliament.
She said the Indian government’s foreign policy priority remained promotion and creation of an environment that was conducive to socio-economic transformation of India. “The pursuit of peace, shared prosperity and regional cooperation within the Indian sub-continent and in our extended neighbourhood will continue to guide my government’s efforts,” Patil said.
Regarding Egypt, she said, “We have an abiding interest in peace, stability and development of countries in our extended neighbourhood. Egypt has recently seen momentous developments. As a democracy ourselves, we welcome the dawn of democracy elsewhere.”
Noting that the Indian government had broadened India’s economic and political relations with the countries of Gulf, West, Central and East Asia, the president said India was now a party to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline project which could potentially transform the energy scenario in this sub-region.
