India wishes to address all issues with Pakistan: Mukherjee

Ajay Kaul

Tehran, Nov 2 (PTI) Observing that it has been pursuing a
policy of "positive and substantial" engagement with Pakistan,
India Sunday said it wishes to address all issues that have
affected bilateral ties and make progress towards enhancing
physical connectivity and upgradation of economic ties.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here that
New Delhi wanted to see peace, stability and development in
Pakistan as it is in India's interest.

He, however, said terrorism is a major problem for the
region as well as world and in this regard referred to the
attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul in July in which five
personnel of the mission, including two diplomats, lost their
lives.

"In recent years, India has pursued a policy of positive
and substantial engagement with Pakistan," Mukherjee said
inaugurating a seminar on 'India and Iran: Ancient
civilisations and modern nations' here.

"We wish to address issues that have affected our ties
over the last several years," he said, adding, "we also wish
to make progress in areas such as enhancement of physical
connectivity and upgradation of economic ties."

He said through the mechanism of the composite dialogue,
the two countries have addressed a number of serious issues of
bilateral interest.

On terrorism, Mukherjee said it constitutes one of the
"most serious threats" to global peace.

Citing the case of Kabul Embassy attack in which 50
people, including several young Afghan girls, were also
killed, he said "terrorists may claim to act on behalf of
religion, but in truth they have no religion, because the
essence of religions is peace and universal brotherhood, and
not violence and the violation of human rights."

The External Affairs Minister also articulated India's
"abiding concern" over the fact that the rights of the
Palestinian people remain to be achieved and said "this
situation requires to be resolved at the earliest".

"Not only does it cause deep harm to the people there, it
has also a negative resonance across the region," he said.

He said India remains convinced that a "just and
comprehensive solution" to the Palestinian question is
"achievable".

India continues to extend its full support to the
Palestinian people in realising its aspirations for a
"sovereign, independent, viable and united state living
side-by-side and at peace with the state of Israel."

Referring to Iraq, Mukherjee said India has longstanding
and civilisational ties with it and wants to see the Iraqi
people freely determine their political future and exercise
control over their natural resources."