Must follow through on initiatives with neighbours: Pranab

The President said the one adage that never goes stale in international politics is, ‘You can choose your friend but not your neighbour’. He said a strong message had been conveyed to the neighbours that the region must decide whether to live in perpetual tension or understanding. “Our initiatives in the neighbourhood must be followed up with concrete steps to consolidate and make permanent the advances we make in our relations,” he said.

Speaking on the issue of the global war on terrorism, the President said the world has, in recent days, witnessed the horrific killings of innocent hostages in Syria, the attack on the media in Paris and the tragic killing of school children and their teachers in Peshawar. “Terrorism is today an industry of evil. It is not just a threat to peace and security but an attack on humanity as a whole. India is one of the oldest victims of terrorism. There is no good terrorism or bad terrorism. Terrorism respects no religion, ideology or nation.

It is no longer a debating issue.  The international community must assert itself and tackle the problem by taking concerted, coordinated and determined action,” he added.

The President also called upon India’s ambassadors and high commissioners to apply themselves to address this challenge.