Panama City: In a veiled attack on Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said it is “extremely difficult” for India to engage with a neighbour who indulges in cross-border terrorism against the country. Jaishankar’s remarks came after Pakistan recently confirmed that its Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit India to attend the crucial Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Goa next month.
“We are both members of the SCO,” Jaishankar said at a joint press conference with Panamanian Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo here on Monday. Therefore, we usually attend meetings. We are the president of this year (SCO). So, the meeting is taking place in India. The point is that it is very difficult for us to engage with a neighbour who promotes cross-border terrorism against us,” he said.
“We have always maintained that they must fulfil their commitment not to encourage, sponsor and support cross-border terrorism. We hope that one day we will reach that point,” he said, adding that India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan. However, it stresses that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such engagements.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office had announced on April 20 that Foreign Minister Bilawal would attend the SCO meeting to be held in Goa on May 4-5.