India gives equal importance to its neighbours, asserts senior BJP leader

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Vijay Chauthaiwale, on Friday asserted that India gives equal importance to its neighbours.

Despite its growing prominence on the global platform, Chauthaiwale said, India has not neglected its neighbours.

The minister, speaking at the ''Nepal-India Cooperation: Prospects and Challenges'' programme in Kathmandu today, added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successful visits to the neighbouring states had further strengthened the ties between the nations.

"Prime Minister Modi visited Nepal thrice. He also visited Maldives, Sri Lanka, and even Pakistan for that matter. So we are equally thoughtful to have very strong relations with all our neighbours," said Chauthaiwale, the foreign affairs chief of India's ruling party.

Upon asked about SAARC Summit Dr. Chauthaiwale replied, "But the kind of situation we have with Pakistan, it is quite difficult for India to sit across the table and discuss constructively, not only on the multilateral forum but also regarding bilateral engagements. So, the situation is much likely to remain as it is, till Pakistan takes some concrete actions against the anomalies of terrorism emerging out of their soil," the minister replied to a question related to India attending the SAARC Summit this year.

Reinstating that the issue between India and Pakistan is completely bilateral, Chauthaiwale made it clear that India would resolve it directly with the concerned party.

"Let me make one thing very clear and categorical, as we did when Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir, that it is purely bilateral. We would only like to resolve it directly with Pakistan," Chauthaiwale stressed.

Today's programme was also attended India's ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri, senior Nepali political leaders from various political parties, former ambassadors, media personnel as well as foreign policy experts from Nepal.