Pakistan seeks to normalise relations with India, but New Delhi has “signalled” it is only interested in talking about terrorism which is not good for diplomatic progress between the two nations, Islamabad’s envoy to the UN said.
Addressing students and faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School on April 25 as part of ‘South Asia Week, Pakistan UN ambassador Maleeha Lodhi spoke about her country’s relations with its neighbours, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
While Islamabad has repeatedly urged Delhi to resume the broad based, comprehensive peace process, India has yet to agree and has instead signalled it is only interested in talking about terrorism. It does not make the prospects of diplomatic progress too bright.Maleeha Lodhi, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to United Nations
Her remarks came just a day before Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry met in New Delhi on April 26 on the sidelines of the ‘Heart of Asia’ regional conference.
Pak’s Top Priorities - Defeating Terrorism and Eliminating Extremism
According to a press release, Lodhi said that in the first Indo-Pak bilateral meeting after the Pathankot attack, the Foreign Secretaries focused on a range of issues such as the attack and the Kashmir Issue. Lodhi said that Pakistan’s priorities included economic revival, defeating terrorism and elimination of violent extremism in and around Pakistan.
Another priority for Pakistan is building regional peace and stability, which required an end to the conflicts in Afghanistan and India.
Pak’s Balancing Act with China and US Relations
Lodhi said that the strategic evolution of the Pakistan-China bilateral partnership is significant due to China’s rise as a global economic powerhouse.
She stated that China is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy . And in recent years, she said bilateral ties with China have broadened and diversified from the traditional focus on defence and military cooperation toward a greater economic and investment orientation.
On how Pakistan will balance its relations with China as well as with the US, she said Pakistan intends to play the same role in the future and maintain good relations with both even as the two engage in global competition.”
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