“There is no change in our position. Unless Pakistan acts credibly against terror directed against India, there can be no talks,” Krishna told journalists on Friday.
The minister re-asserted the stand of New Delhi soon after Pakistan rejected pre-conditions set by India for resuming the dialogue.
India had suspended the composite dialogue with Pakistan after the terrorist attacks on Mumbai on November 26 last year. The two nuclear neighbours had started dialogue in February 2004.
President Pratibha Patil’s remark on Thursday that the new UPA Government was ready to reshape its relationship with Pakistan fuelled speculation that New Delhi might soften its tone on resumption of dialogue under US pressure.
The President, however, added that New Delhi’s future approach on relations with Islamabad would depend on the latter’s sincerity in confronting the groups that launch terrorist attacks against India from Pakistan. But a spokesman of Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs termed as “mostly untenable” the pre-conditions set by India for resumption of the peace-process.
Krishna also said that US President Barrack Obama’s speech to the Muslim world from Cairo University was conciliatory. “We will have to wait for the reactions from the Islamic world,” he said.
Published 05 June 2009, 19:06 IST