Indian envoy to US foresees difficulties in normalising ties with Pakistan

Nirupama Rao says India needs to urge Pakistan to realise need of acting on terrorism on a mutual basis.

Indian Ambassador to the United States (US) Nirupama Rao has said that while India has made “sincere” efforts to reduce the trust deficit with neighbour Pakistan, it realises that achieving the goal will be difficult, The Economic Times has reported.

Rao said:

This is not going to be easy. There is a lot of difficult terrain ahead. We recognise that. We are realist about it.

She said that trade and business between the two countries need to be augmented. She added that travel between India and Pakistan needed to be made easier.

In the region of Jammu and Kashmir we have consciously worked on putting in place confidence building measures that enable trade across the line of control, better transportation facilities so that people can connect more easily.

The ambassador said that India needs to urge its neighbour to realise the need of acting on terrorism on a mutual basis. Rao added that terrorism could trigger proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

We have been affected by clandestine nuclear proliferation in our neighborhood.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been plagued by border and resource disputes, and accusations of Pakistani militant activity against India.