— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

ON A FIRM FOOTING: External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee with his deputy Anand Sharma (right) and Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon at the South Block in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Since India could not change its neighbours, it was desirable to live with them in peace and create a tension-free situation on the borders, the new External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, said here on Wednesday.

Speaking to the media minutes after taking charge, Mr. Mukherjee said his views could not be separated from that of the Government on the nature of evidence gathered on the July Mumbai blasts.

"My view cannot be separate from that of the Government ... As far as evidence is concerned, our law enforcement agencies have gathered some evidence. We will share this evidence with the Pakistani authorities as we believe that we cannot alter our neighbour," he stressed.

After 11 months of relative silence, the corridors of South Block were buzzing as officials prepared to receive Mr. Mukherjee.

The Minister's room, which has remained unoccupied since November 2005, has been spruced up, officials said.

Mr. Mukherjee said: "I'm fully aware and conscious of the responsibilities of steering the foreign policy of this great country, particularly at this moment when we are poised to play a more important role and taking our rightful place in the comity of nations."

The objective

A country's foreign policy was the extension of its national interest. "Keeping that in view, our objective is to have sustained economic growth in the range of 9 to 10 per cent during the 11th [Five Year] Plan and higher growth level in the 12th Plan ... "

The foreign policy would aim at achieving this objective, he said.

To achieve these targets, the country required investment, access to technology as well as peace and tranquillity "in our periphery" and other parts of the world. If there was instability in one part of the world, it would impact other countries as well, Mr. Mukherjee said.

Asked if India could "put some force" on Bangladesh to make it curb terrorist activities, he said: "It's not a question of applying force on any country; every country is sovereign. But we have already taken it [the issue] up with Bangladesh."

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