Tackle terror and Indo-Pak dialogue can progress: Rao

Underlining that India has worked to promote better ties with Pakistan, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said that the relations with Islamabad can only grow in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.

Underlining that India has worked to promote better ties with Pakistan, foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said that the relations with Islamabad can only grow in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.

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"The trajectory of our relationship over the last few decades has been distorted and adversely impacted by the factor of cross-border terrorism," Rao told a large gathering at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

Describing the recent talks with her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in Islamabad as "productive and positive", she said, "A stable Pakistan which acts as a bulwark against terrorism and extremism is in its own interest and also in the interest of our region." "We have consistently made efforts to go back to the negotiating table to solve difficult issues. We have striven to promote better relations with Pakistan. Naturally, such relations can only grow in an atmosphere free of terror and violence," she said on Monday.

Speaking on 'Key Priorities for India's Foreign Policy', Rao said, "it is an amalgam of national interests, our conviction that inclusive structures of dialogue and cooperation to address the new dimensions of security threats are necessary, that the institutions of global governance including the United Nations should reflect current realities."