India keen on improving ties with neighbours, says Foreign Minister Krishna

New Delhi, Mar 16 (ANI): Asserting that cross border terrorism continues to be a matter of concern, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said India is pursuing a path of dialogue with Pakistan to reduce the trust deficit and resolve all outstanding issues in a spirit of openness.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for his Ministry in the Lok Sabha, Krishna said: "Cross border terrorism continues to be a matter of concern for India. Those who allowed terrorism to grow on their soil must be repenting now, though they may not say so."

Commenting on India's relationship with Nepal, Krishna said: "The security of the country is intertwined with that country and India favours establishment of democratic order in every country where people wish so."

The External Affairs Minister talking about India's relationship with Bangladesh said the ilateral relations between the two nations have improved with the government headed by Sheikh Hasina.

"The relations have yielded mutually beneficial dividends for both the countries," he said.

Krishna further said that there is a growing support in the international community on granting India permanent membership of the UN Security Council.

"The United States has assured that steps have been taken to see that there are no unpleasant incidents faced by Indian diplomats and others in that country," he informed the Lok Sabha.

"India is holding dialogue with the United States in a spirit of equal partnership and the strategic cooperation between the two countries is multi sectoral," he said.

Emphasizing that the safety and security of Indians working in the Arab World is the top priority of the government, Krishna said: "The situation in the region is fluid and no hasty conclusion can be drawn as people in the region have rising expectations from the governments."

Commenting on the controversy surrounding California-based Tri Valley University (TVU), Krishna said: "A federal inquiry is on in the United States about the bogus Tri valley university."

"17 out of 18 students have been spared from this practice," he added regarding radio tagging of Indian students.

Praising the Indian Consul General in San Fransisco for taking up this issue in great detail, he said that more than 50 percent of the students have already started the process of applying to different universities.

Talking about the evacuation of Indians from strife-torn Libya, he informed that more than 16,000 people have been air lifted safely, and added that 53 flights including 36 by Air India alone were involved in the evacuation process. (ANI)