New Delhi, Feb 21: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Monday said the measures taken by the Centre and the state government have led to improvement in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
She said while India would stay put in Afghanistan for “stability and peace” there, with Pakistan “we want resolution of issues through meaningful dialogue” conditional to “not allowing its soil for activities against India”.
“The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved. A number of pro-active measures have been taken by the Centre and State Government. An all party delegation visited the State. The interlocutors have also been engaged fruitfully in their endeavours,” the President said in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, to mark the beginning of the Budget session.
The President also noted that intensive engagement with various groups in the North-East has largely reduced violence in those states.
“With Pakistan we seek peaceful resolution of issues through a meaningful dialogue so long as Pakistan does not allow its soil to be used for activities against India,” she said e adding, “We will continue to work for the return of stability and peace in Afghanistan”.
On China, Patil said her visit there, along with Laos and Cambodia, had further promoted the links “with an area which is increasingly important to us”.
Talking about the Gulf region and West Asia, where a large Indian population resided and where recent incidents had led to pro-democracy uprisings, the President said, “As a democracy ourselves, we welcome the dawn of democracy elsewhere.”
Patil spelled out India’s international goals and aspirations while highlighting the visit of P-5 (five permanent members of United Nations) leaders during a single calendar year 2010.
Patil hinted at India working more closely with P-5 leaders to get a permanent seat in the UN Security Council saying, “My government will continue to work to realise the full potential of these relationships in the pursuit of India’s interests.”
However, as of now - as a non-permanent member of UNSC for a two-year term,India will “uphold the values of multilateralism” while advancing “the cause of peace, development and security”, she added making amply clear India’s demand for the expansion of the UNSC and its ultimate goal in the international fora.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
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