Onboard Special Aircraft, Oct.8 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee arrived back in the country after paying a six-day state visit to Belgium and Turkey, where, he said, he had discussed the issue of cross-border terrorism from Pakistan extensively with officials.
Mukherjee said that though he had discussed the Pakistani cross-border terrorism with Turkish officials, he still maintained that India does not seek any intervention from any third country into its issues with its neighbours.
"Every country has its own approach towards each and every other country. But, this much, I would like to say that I had briefed them about our initiatives about Pakistan, and also the requirement, which has been repeatedly pressed before the Pakistani leadership, and I also mentioned the last meeting between the two Prime Ministers," Mukherjee said onboard the special aircraft while on his way back to India.
"Our approach towards Pakistan is that it is essential bilateral issues, which is to be resolved between India and Pakistan, themselves, within the framework of the Shimla Agreement. Therefore, question of any third country's intervention, on this issue, does not arise. India has never sought for any third country's intervention in this respect," he said.
"Our relations with other countries are not specific to any country. We do not believe that the relationship between two countries, bi-lateral relationship, could be determined in the context of the third country," he added.
Mukherjee also said that terrorism had no creed or territorial identity, but instead, was united by the desire to disrupt peace and tranquility in the world.
"While talking about terrorism, there was a convergence of the views that I have mentioned in my statement, the terrorists have no religion, no country, no respect for border-their only aim is to continue, they want only distraction from everything. It was also recognized that this is not confined to one country or one region, it seems to be the menace to international peace and international tranquility," he said.
On October 6, Mukherjee said that countries could not choose their neighbours, but had the capacity to choose whether to maintain good or bad relations with them.
"It is easier to change a friend, but it is not possible to change a neighbour. Neighbours are going to stay where they are. Therefore, it is for us to decide whether we will live in perpetual tension with neighbour or, will we live in peace with the neighbour," said Mukherjee on Saturday.
In Istanbul, Mukherjee was conferred with a Honoris Causa in Political Science by the University of Istanbul for his achievements political life and his contributions to governance and democracy in India.
Mukherjee also became the first Indian President to visit Belgium and the third head of state to visit Turkey. (ANI)
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