TIA Correspondent
Indian on Sunday asserted that dialogue with Pakistan can only materialise if a peaceful environment is created. Addressing a press conference on the completion of one year of NDA Government, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said thatenvironment for dialogue can only be created when Pakistan takes action against perpetrators like 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The Minister said Indo-Pak relation is based on three principles for dialogue. She elaborated that the first principle is that both countries should be ready to resolve all issues in a peaceful manner, and secondly no third party should be involved. Thirdly, she said, talks should take place in a non-violent zone.
Mrs Swaraj said both India and Pakistan have supported each other during difficult times, irrespective of the bitterness in the relationship. On asked about India-Pakistan cricket series in the pipeline, the Minister said no such decision has been taken.
Replying a question on the threat of Islamic State, the Minister said Home Ministry has imposed a ban on the terror outfit and it will be dealt with the way banned organisations are treated. She said government is religiously pursuing the matter of the 39 Indian nationals abducted in Iraq.
Saying that a country’s foreign policy is efficient if visits and dialogue bring outcome, Mrs Swaraj said India has held communication and discussion with 101 countries in the last year. She said there has been a 39 percent increase in Foreign Direct Investment as compared to the previous year. She said her Ministry is using diplomacy to further the development programmes of government.
The External Affairs Minister also said government has sent a proposal for Memorandum of Understanding to Germany saying it ready to teach German as an additional language. However, she said, in return Germany must also teach Sanskrit or any other modern Indian language.