Pak should control 'terror machine': PM
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on said India has been making efforts to normalise relations with Pakistan but made it clear that dialogue cannot take place until the "terror machine" there is brought under control.
"We are willing to discuss all outstanding issues (with Pakistan) provided the terror machine (there) is brought under control," he said in response to a question on Pakistan at the HT Leadership Summit here.
He was asked when the dialogue with Pakistan, suspended since Mumbai attacks, could resume. "Our efforts have been to normalise relations with Pakistan," he said, adding he had often said that "we can choose our friends but we cannot choose our neighbours. We have no choice."
He said South Asia has enormous capacity to grow at a much faster pace but this will depend on peace and tranquility in the region.
"For the last six and a half years that I have been the Prime Minister, my effort has been to give the greatest importance to improving relationship with our neighbours, that includes South Asian countries particularly Pakistan and South East Asia," Dr Singh said.
He said India's 'Look East' Policy has been successful and referred to his recent visit to Japan and Malaysia during they agreed to work together to frame comprehensive economic partnership pacts.
The Prime Minister said India's relations with Asean countries have also improved enormously and New Delhi has become a founding member of the East Asia Summit.
Simultaneously, he said, India has also improved relations with West Asian countries like Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait and countries in Central Asia.
At the same time, India's effort has been to improve relations with all P-5 countries (the US, Russia, UK, France and China), which is reflected by the fact that top leaders of these countries will visit New Delhi in 2010.
While British Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama have already visited India earlier in 2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will be visiting next month.
He said India today enjoys such a goodwill that everywhere he went, there was "great admiration" for India.
"People (around the world) marvel at the fact that here is a country of 1.2 billion people with all religions represented is committed to rule of law, human freedom and still has managed to produce a growth rate of 9 to 10 per cent. The world wants India to succeed," he said.
On the visit of US President Barack Obama here, Dr Singh said it was a "great success".
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