New Delhi: Asserting that there are no problems which cannot be resolved, India today said it would like to address all its issues with Pakistan through talks while having an “effective deterrence” to deal with terrorism emanating from there. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also emphasised that India wants to have friendly relations with an economically-growing China without compromising on territorial sovereignty.
“We would like to resolve our problems through negotiations, through talks. I don’t think of any problem that cannot be resolved through negotiations,” he said, against the backdrop of recent escalation in ceasefire violation by Pakistan.
“But on the other hand, India would like to have an effective deterrence to deal with terrorism,” Doval said.
Delivering an address on “The Munich Security Conference” (MSC) here, he emphasised the policy of having friendly relations with all neighbours and said India’s economic progress could bring the regional countries together.
“I think developing better relations with neighbourhood is important. India’s economic development could bind together the region which could see a vested interest that India’s growth will bring more opportunities and they should not feel undermined,” he said.
Turning to China whose troops have been indulging in incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said India considers it as “a very important neighbour” with with “we have had good relations for centuries”.
Observing that there had been “some bad experience in 1962 (when China waged war)”, the NSA said, “But we find space for economic cooperation and commerce. I would like to develop our relations to such an extent till the time our territorial and integral sovereignty…we would not able to compromise on it. We should sit together and resolve our boundary dispute amicably.” .
Talking about the problem of terrorism, the NSA pushed for early fructification of the long-pending UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), which is being stalled by countries like Pakistan.
“On international front, nothing has happened except conferences. UN resolution is pending. We don’t have UN Convention of Terrorism,” he said, adding “People could not define terrorism… Pakistan said ‘freedom fighters’ should not be treated as terrorists.”
Questioning why there cannot be a UN convention on terrorism, he said such a measure would make states more responsible as to what actions a state has to take and how there can be a collective response to it. “Can we think of extradition laws that that can help us in the process. It is fast-moving pattern and action should be taken in 24 to 48 hours. Otherwise it will not serve any purpose,” he said.
To press his point, he referred to the 9/11 attack in the US and said that 13 years on, a lot has happened on the domestic front in various countries to deal with terrorism and threats, but nothing has worked substantially at the international level.
Talking about emerging challenges, Doval pitched for joint effort by “strong democracies” to deal with the threats.
“There is no guarantee that countries with superior manpower, technology and networking, all the diplomatic and economic resources will be able to dissuade their adversaries,” he said, in comments which could be seen at directed at the US.
“We are moving into fourth generation warfare. The new channels of conflicts need quick responses. This is like a hit and run case. We are trying, we are succeeding and are failing, The same method, same tactic works, but most of the time it does not. It does not matter what happens to you. It is more important how the response has been,” he said. (PTI)