POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Mar 10, 2022 : Peace and relief in the border areas are needed to improve India’s relations with China. India has clearly informed China about this. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Sringla made the remarks in a speech on India’s “Neighbors First” policy on Wednesday. Sringla spoke at the inaugural ceremony of the ‘Neighbors First’ module training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India.
Two days before the Indian foreign secretary’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing on Monday that there had been some problems in Sino-Indian relations in recent years. This is completely inconsistent with the fundamental interests of the people of China and India. Some powers want to create India-China competition. India-China should be partners, not adversaries.
Speaking on relations with China, the Indian Foreign Secretary said that India-China relations would be based on mutual respect, sensitivity and mutual interest. Giving importance to these will improve the relationship.
In his speech, Harsh Vardhan Sringla spoke about India’s special relationship with Bangladesh. He said, “Bangladesh is the only country where our President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have visited since the onset of the epidemic. They made these visits to further strengthen the very special relationship on the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s liberation war and Bangladesh-India diplomatic relations. ‘
Sringla gave examples of cooperation in the peaceful settlement of land and sea disputes between Bangladesh and India, roads, railways and shipping, power and energy, and the vaccine sector. He said Bangladesh and India were exploring the possibility of constructing an inter-border liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline and LNG terminal.
The Indian Foreign Secretary said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighbors First’ policy has given top priority to relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India is working closely with everyone except Pakistan.
On relations with Myanmar, the Indian Foreign Secretary said, “We are in touch with Myanmar. We have a border of about 1600 kilometers with the country. ‘
“We urge the return of democracy to Myanmar as soon as possible in the interest of India,” he said. We are committed to a relationship with Myanmar that creates opportunities for cooperation in the areas of security, economy and humanitarian assistance. ‘
“We want good relations with Pakistan, but not in exchange for our security,” he said. ‘
Addressing the government officials participating in the training, the Indian Foreign Secretary said, “I urge you to keep our neighbors in mind while conducting your policy-making duties. Please note that the unintended effects of domestic policy can be felt by neighbors. ‘
Sringla said officials who will be on duty in the border districts must keep in mind foreign and security policy issues. “We are living in an age of globalization,” he said. Our country also has global interests. ‘
