External Affairs Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee’s
Press Interaction on his taking over charge on 25th October 2006
(New Delhi; October 25, 2006)
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE):
I am happy to be back to this room after
almost ten and a half years. I left this room in May, 1996. Of course, all of
you are aware a lot of stories and speculations were going on, but now it has
come to an end.
I am fully aware and conscious of the responsibilities of steering the foreign
policy of this great country, particularly at this moment when we are poised for
playing a more important role and taking our rightful place in the comity of
nations.
What is our objective? After all the foreign policy of a country is the
extension of its national interest. Keeping that in view, our objective is to
have sustained economic growth in the range of nine to ten per cent during the
Eleventh Plan and a higher growth level during the Twelfth Plan on a sustainable
basis. For that we require investment, we require technology, access to
technology, and we also require – what is most important - to have peace and
tranquility in our periphery and desirably all over the world.
Why I say all over the world is because if there be instability in one part of
the world - in today’s context when the world is fast emerging as a real global
village - it would have its impact on other parts. Therefore, in one word, to
achieve our objective of attaining higher growth syndrome we require investment
and technology, of course, state of the art. The precondition of attaining this
higher growth is peace and stability in the region and in the world. Our foreign
policy would be directed to achieve these objectives. Thank you.
QUESTION: I
have a question specifically on the problem of terrorism that we have in our
country today. A lot of it is rooted in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is fast emerging
as the hub of terrorist activities in this region. Do you plan to talk to the
Bangladeshi leaders and put some kind of force on them so that they curb and
crack down on these elements whose activities are inimical to India’s interest?
MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: It is not a question of applying force on
any country. Every country is a sovereign country. But we have already taken
this up with Bangladesh. Apart from taking it up at the officials’ level during
the talks between the Defence Secretaries and Foreign Secretaries of the two
countries, when Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia visited our country last time,
we had a detailed discussion. In fact, in the discussion I myself was present.
Of course in a different capacity, wearing a different hat, but nonetheless the
issue was security and terrorism. We discussed this issue. We suggested to
Bangladesh Government that it is in the interest of both the countries that the
fundamentalist forces who are indulging in terrorist activities and violence
should be curtailed.
QUESTION: There have been a lot of comments on whether India has credible evidence or not on the Mumbai bomb blasts vis-à-vis Pakistan and the ISI. What is the real situation vis-à-vis what is happening with Pakistan on this particular event and also generally with relations with Pakistan? What do you think is your view on the reaction this side? …(inaudible)…
MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS: My view cannot be separate from the view
which we have taken and which we are pursuing already. I am a part of the
Government. So far as the evidence is concerned, our law enforcing agencies have
gathered certain evidence and we will share that evidence with the Pakistani
authorities.
As we cannot alter our neighbour, it is desirable to live with our neighbour in
peace and to create a tension-free situation on our borders, amongst our
neighbours in the region. Thank you.