NEW DELHI, Feb 25 (KUNA) — India Monday stated that current developments in West Asia directly impact its security and that it was keen to cooperate with the countries in the region to promote peace and stability there.
“Developments in the vital West Asian region impact directly on our interests and security. India is keen on cooperating with these countries to promote peace and stability in the region,” India’s President Pratibha Devisingh Patil said in her address to the parliament.
She said the government had been closely following events in Iraq and hoped that peace and stability would soon return to the country, adding that India also supported a rejuvenated Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and looked forward to a peaceful resolution of issues leading to an independent state of Palestine living side by side at peace with its neighbours.
“Sadly, recent events in Gaza and the West Bank have caused deplorable misery and hardship to the people of Palestine. India will extend additional assistance to the Palestinian people and stands ready to help the peace process to move forward,” Patil said.
As for relations with Arabian Gulf states, she said, “We have considerably enhanced our interactions with countries of the Gulf region that is home to over 4.5 million Indians and is an important economic partner and a major source for our oil and gas imports. The countries of West Asia have age-old links with India culturally and economically and are part of our extended neighbourhood.” He noted that her country’s foreign policy sought to promote an environment of peace and stability in South Asia and in the world.
Referring to the current situation in Pakistan, Patil said, “We are committed to peace, friendship and good neighbourly relations with Pakistan. A stable and prosperous Pakistan, at peace with itself, is in the interests of our entire region. When conditions permit we will resume our dialogue process with Pakistan premised on an atmosphere free from terror and violence.” And on relations with major powers, she said that India’s relations with the US had improved in the past few years, and now spanned a wide spectrum, adding that it was New Delhi’s hope that civil nuclear cooperation with the US and other friendly countries would become possible.