NEW DELHI: India alone cannot walk the path of peace with Pakistan and Islamabad “must walk away from terrorism” if it wants dialogue to resume, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

Referring to ties with China, he said it was not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences but both sides should show sensitivity and respect for each other’s core concerns and interests.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day Raisina Dialogue, projected as India’s flagship geopolitical conference which is being attended by top foreign and security experts from across the world.

On ties with Pakistan, Mr Modi said the path of peace had to be Pakistan’s journey as well and that India’s stand in delinking terrorism from religion, and rejecting artificial distinction between good and bad terrorism, were now a global talking point.

“My vision for our neighbourhood puts premium on peaceful and harmonious ties with entire South Asia. That vision had led me to invite leaders of all Saarc nations, including Pakistan, for my swearing in.

“For this vision, I had also travelled to Lahore. But, 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 said.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, he said those “in our neighbourhood who support violence, perpetrate hatred, and export terror stand isolated and ignored”.

In his address, Mr Modi gave a rundown of India’s foreign policy priorities, security interests in the Indian Ocean and bilateral engagement with neighbouring countries, Gulf nations and major powers, including the US, China and Russia.

“I see the rise of India and China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some differences.

“In the management of our relationship, and for the peace and progress in the region, both our countries need to show sensitivity and respect for each other’s core concerns and interests,” he said.

“Over the past two-and-half years, we have given a strong momentum to our engagement with the US, Russia, Japan and other major global powers,” he said, delving on India’s external engagement and geo-strategic interests.

Mr Modi said India’s economic and political rise represented a regional and global opportunity of great significance.

Talking about ties with the US, Mr Modi referred to his conversation with President-elect Donald Trump and said “we agreed to keep building on these gains in our strategic partnership”.

He said instability, violence, conflict, extremism, exclusion and transnational threats continued to proliferate in dangerous directions. “And, non-state actors are significant contributors to the spread of such challenges. Institutions and architectures built for a different world, by a different world, seem outdated, posing a barrier to effective multilateralism,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2017