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In his maiden address to the 193-member UN General Assembly, Narendra said that his government placed the highest priority on advancing friendship and cooperation with its neighbours, including Pakistan. However, he also asserted that Pakistan had to create an "appropriate environment" for this.
Speaking in Hindi, Modi said, "I am prepared to engage in a serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism, to promote our friendship and cooperation. However, Pakistan must also take its responsibility seriously to create an appropriate environment," he told the Assembly. He added that a country's future is linked very closely to its neighbours and hence from the very first day the government had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan.
The United nations should shun countries that use terror as an instrument of policy, he said, observing that terrorism was taking new shapes and names across the world. He also spoke about sanitation and water issues, and suggested that an International Yoga Day be celebrated. Modi spoke about restructuring the United Nations as well.
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