Composite dialogue making progress: Sharma

21 Mar, 2006

Observing that India attached immense importance to relations with its neighbours, minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma on Monday said the composite dialogue with Pakistan was making progress and efforts were on to resolve the boundary dispute with China.
"We are in an exciting phase of India's foreign policy. India's relations with various countries have undergone transformation over the last two years," he said while inaugurating the Diplomatic Correspondents' course here.
Referring to relations with Pakistan, he said the composite dialogue with that country was "making progress". With regard to China, he said relations had improved, particularly in the field of trade and commerce.
Sharma said efforts were underway to resolve the boundary dispute, over which discussions are being held by the special representatives of the two countries national security adviser. M. K. Narayanan and Chinese vice foreign minister Dai Bingguo.
Turning to relations with the US with which India recently clinched the nuclear deal, Sharma said "relations had never been better" with that country.
The minister said strengthening of relations with Russia, Japan, Asean countries was also making steady progress.
Maintaining that there has been a broad consensus within the country over the foreign policy, he, however, expressed at times there is a "tendency of some to look at foreign policy through the prism of purely domestic consideration. It is important but cannot be the sole touchstone."

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