India wants to resolve issue of ‘years-old cross-border terrorism’ with Pakistan: FM Jaishankar

MUMBAI: India said on Tuesday New Delhi would “want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism” with Pakistan.

“With Pakistan, we would want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism,” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said this after assuming charge for a second straight term.

“That cannot be the policy of a good neighbour.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on Sunday for a record-equalling third term at a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the president’s palace in New Delhi, attended by leaders of seven regional countries, underlining the government’s “neighbourhood first” policy.

On Monday, leaders of the two countries engaged in diplomacy via X. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother and former prime minister Nawaz congratulated Modi, in what was Pakistan’s first response to the election results from across the border.

India to focus on solving border issues with China

Meanwhile, Jaishankar said India will focus on finding solutions to the border issues with China that has long strained ties between the neighbouring countries.

India and China share a 3,800 km (2,400 mile) border - much of it poorly demarcated - over which the nuclear-armed nations also fought a war in 1962.

India, China should urgently address ‘prolonged situation’ on borders, Modi says

They have engaged in a military standoff since July 2020 when at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed in the worst clashes in five decades.

But relations and problems with China and Pakistan were different, Jaishankar told reporters.

“With regards to China there are still some issues at the border and our focus will be on how to solve them,” he said.