India for peaceful resolution of all issues with Pak: Prez

New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) Indian President Pratibha Patil
Monday said the government would seek a peaceful resolution of
all issues with Pakistan through talks as long as it does not
allow its soil to be used for terror activities against India.
"With Pakistan, we seek a peaceful resolution of issues
through a meaningful dialogue so long as Pakistan does not
allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against
India," she said in her address to a joint sitting of
Parliament.
The government's foreign policy priority remained
promotion and creation of an environment that is conducive to
the socio-economic transformation of India, she said.
"The pursuit of peace, shared prosperity and regional
cooperation within the Indian sub-continent and in our
extended neighbourhood will continue to guide my government's
efforts," Patil said.
Regarding Egypt, she said, "We have an abiding interest in
peace, stability and development of countries in our extended
neighbourhood. Egypt has recently seen momentous developments.
As a democracy ourselves, we welcome the dawn of democracy
elsewhere."
Noting that the government has broadened India's economic
and political relations with the countries of Gulf, West,
Central and East Asia, she said India was now a party to the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline project which
could "potentially transform the energy scenario in this
sub-region."
Observing that many Indians were working in the Gulf and
West Asia and making valuable contributions to these
countries, Patil said, "We will continue to work for the
welfare of our diaspora whose contributions to India we
appreciate and whose links we will foster."
On Afghanistan, the President said the government would
continue to work for the return of stability and peace in that
country and help the Afghan people in their reconstruction
efforts.
A meeting of the India-Africa Forum Summit would be held
in Ethiopia later this year, she said, adding that this was
the first such initiative in Africa by New Delhi as the
continent enjoys "a special place" in the heart of Indians.
Noting that India's relationship with major world powers
also continued to develop satisfactorily, Patil pointed out
that top leaders of all five Permanent Members of the UN
Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the UK and the US,
visited India last year.
"My government will continue to work to realise the full
potential of these relationships in the pursuit of India's
interests," she said.
Maintaining that the international economic situation
"continues to remain complicated by the after effects of the
global financial crisis," Patil said the government had worked
with partners in G-20, BRIC and IBSA groupings to "promote an
open and inclusive international trading order, resisting
protectionist impulses."
As a member of the UN Security Council for a two-year
term, India would advance the cause of peace, development and
security and uphold the values of multilateralism, she said.