NEW DELHI: Asserting that talks and terror cannot go together, India today said the message it sent to Pakistan through the ‘surgical strike’ has been heard across the world and there was “clear unanimity” that sponsorship of terrorism is as henious as the menace itself.
The Government also said its intention of having peaceful ties with Pakistan has not changed but insisted that talks cannot take place in the “shadow of violence and under spray of bullets”, and the message it conveyed through the surgical strike was that India will not accept continued terrorism as the “new normal”.
“The aim of the surgical strikes that we conducted was to convey to Pakistan that we will not countenance continued terrorism as the new normal in our relationship. Our own good faith has been amply demonstrated time and again through repeated initiatives to normalize the relationship. However, as we have often stated, talks and terror cannot go together,” Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd.) V K Singh said.
He was addressing a joint press conference with his ministerial colleague M J Akbar where they listed MEA’s achievements in the last two-and-half years.
“All the countries of the region, barring one, have demonstrated their willingness to stand together against the menace of terrorism that could undermine their collective hopes. India too, has shown that we will not back down in the face of assaults against the security of our people, the prosperity of the region and interests of the international community.
“Our position on terror has been widely accepted by the world. In the coming year, the world will be even stronger in its condemnation of the evil,” he said. (AGENCIES)
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