Delhi: Inaugurating the second edition of the Raisina Dialogue on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wanted to engage with India.
He also said that in May 2014, people of India had ushered in a new normal.
“My fellow Indians spoke in one voice to entrust my government with mandate of change: Government with mandate of change. Every day at work, my ‘to do list’ is guided by the constant drive to reform and transform India, for prosperity and security of all Indians,” he said.
The PM added, “World needs India’s sustained rise as much as India needs World. Our desire to change country has an indivisible link with external world. For multiple reasons, and at multiple levels world is growing through profound changes.”
“For me, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ is not just a vision for India. It is a belief for the whole world. The people of South Asia are joined by blood, shared history, culture, and aspirations. In the last two and half years, we have partnered with almost all our neighbours to bring the region together. My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia,” he said.
“That vision had led me to invite leaders of all SAARC nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in. India alone cannot walk the path of peace. It also has to be Pakistan’s journey to make. Pakistan must walk away from terror if it wants to walk towards dialogue with India,” he maintained.
“Globally connected societies, digital opportunities, technology shifts, knowledge boom and innovation are leading the march of humanity. We need to guard against any inclination that promotes exclusion, specially in Asia. The multi-polarity of the world and an increasingly multi-polar Asia, is a dominant fact today,” he said.
PM Modi he went on to say, “The prosperity of Indians, both at home and abroad, and security of our citizens are of paramount importance. Our economic and political rise represents a regional and global opportunity of great significance.
The dialogue will feature inaugural panel with Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, Foreign Minister of Nepal Prakash Sharan Mahat, former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, former prime minister of Australia Kevin Rudd, International Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister of Bangladesh Gowher Rizvi.
A video message from the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres will be played before the inaugural panel.
Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will deliver the keynote address on Wednesday.
Indian Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani and V.K. Singh will address the Dialogue besides ministers and officials from other countries.
More than 250 participants from 65 countries are taking part in this year`s three-day Dialogue.
The first edition was attended by 120 participants from 40 countries.
Source: Zee News