New Delhi : India Sunday warned Pakistan against repeated ceasefire violations, saying there cannot be a dialogue with it if these continued.
“If repeated ceasefire violations take place, then the environment for dialogue itself suffers,” Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said at the India Global Forum meeting here hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
“There should be a dialogue. We will welcome it, but then the environment for dialogue has to be created by both countries. One of them cannot upset the environment and then say why dialogue is not taking place,” Jaitley said.
“When we further the discussions, it was through foreign secretary dialogue (called off in August), this was responded to by an immediate invite to the separatists, particularly keeping in mind elections in J&K at the doorsteps. Now, this we found completely unacceptable,” he added.
Pointing out that the situation has by and large been peaceful in the Kashmir Valley, Jaitley said: “We are expecting peaceful elections in the Valley notwithstanding efforts to disturb the environment.”
Regarding the border issue with China, Jaitley said India is keen to expedite the process of resolving the longstanding matter.
“As far as China is concerned, our economic relationship continues to grow, there are a lot of mutual investments in both countries and there is huge trade between the two countries,” he said.
“But then we have a pending issue of settlement of boundary itself and the commission appointed in 2003 for that purpose… we do hope it functions now expeditiously. We continue to have a meaningful dialogue with them,” he added.