Kartarpur corridor will be the beginning of new chapter in India-Pak ties: VP

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Monday hailed the foundation stone laying of the Kartarpur corridor as the "beginning of a new chapter" in India-Pakistan ties and said it will act as a unifier to build "bridges across old chasms".

This corridor will be a bridge between the two peoples who have so much in common, Naidu said in his address at the foundation stone-laying ceremony here.

"This is a corridor that opens new doors. It is a path that opens up new possibilities. It is a unifier, building bridges across old chasms. It promotes deeper understanding and a new resolve to connect the people of our two countries through love, empathy and invisible threads of common spiritual heritage," Naidu said.

Underlining that it was the Indian government which urged the Government of Pakistan to develop the corridor, he said Indians are happy that Pakistan has accepted their long-pending demand.

"This momentous, historic occasion has been made possible by the Government of India's decision to build this corridor from Dera Baba Nanak to the International Corridor on our side," he said.

He said the demand to set up a corridor had been discussed for nearly two decades now, which is getting fulfilled today.

"It is a day like no other. It is a truly path breaking, potentially transformative moment," Naidu said. "It promises to be, in many ways, the beginning of a new chapter in our efforts to bring two family members even closer."