The Minister’s remarks acquire significance in view of the speculation about a meeting between the Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana in June.
Referring to constant call for dialogue with Pakistan without addressing the core issue of cross-border terrorism, Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar said peace talks could be an excuse for avoiding real peace and reflect a position that may be hypocritical.
“When anyone asks for peace talks, it does not necessarily mean that that country is asking for peace. And one has to measure that difference very carefully,’’ Akbar said here on Friday evening launching a new journal on international affairs, titled ‘India and World’.
“Do you want peace or do you want peace talks as an excuse for a position that may be hypocritical? And our reaction will be based on the larger assessment of what you mean,’’ said the Minister, without naming Pakistan.
The Minister’s remarks acquire significance in view of the speculation about a meeting between the Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana in June.
Akbar’s assertion is understood to have drawn lines and conditionalities or such a meeting.
Describing terrorism as the single most important threat to the world, the Minister stressed that India will continue to fight and defeat terrorism and terrorists’ designs “to split pluralistic societies that have achieved internal cohesion and peace through suspicion and fear.”
Dwelling on the theme of “Indian Diplomacy@2020: Power of India,” Akbar provided a big-picture view of India’s foreign policy priorities and underlined that the diplomatic drive under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been geared towards placing ‘India and Indians First’ in the country’s multi-faceted diplomatic outreach.
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