Neighbours can’t be changed, says Antony
May 28th, 2011 - 3:05 pm ICT by IANSKannur (Kerala), May 28 (IANS) For better relations with India, Pakistan will have to dismantle the terror camps on its soil, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Saturday pointing out that friends can be changed but not neighbours.
“India has a policy of having good relations with all neighbours. We can change friends but neighbours can’t be changed,” Antony said addressing the media after laying the foundation-stone of the Indian Coast Guard Academy near here.
“Even when we have problems with our neighbours like China on border disputes, we have good relations with them. With regard to Pakistan, the biggest problem in permanent good relations with them is there are 42 terrorists camps functioning there,” he said.
“To have excellent relations with Pakistan, they have to first destroy those terrorist camps and without that it is practically impossible to have the best of relations with them.
“But nevertheless bilateral discussions are going ahead and we are having one such meeting shortly when the defence secretaries of the countries will meet,” said Antony.
He also said that the US is giving a lot of arms and money to Pakistan to help flush out Afghan terrorists taking shelter in Pakistan. “But these are being used against us, which is not a nice gesture on the part of (the) US and we have raised this issue with them many times,” added Antony.
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- India 'impatient' for Pakistan to dismantle terror network: Antony - Jan 21, 2010
- India wants terror camps in Pakistan destroyed - Sep 27, 2011
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- Kashmiri terror groups thriving under 'patronage of Pak agencies' in PoK: BBC - Mar 04, 2010
- 40 terror camps active in Pakistan: Antony - May 12, 2010
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- We want friendly ties with Pakistan: PM (Lead) - Dec 20, 2010
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- Krishna meets Khar, tells Pakistan to dismantle terror camps - Sep 27, 2011
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Tags: antony, bilateral discussions, border disputes, china, coast guard academy, defence minister, foundation stone, gesture, india pakistan, kannur, kerala, laying the foundation, neighbours, regard, relations with india, secretaries, soil, terror, terrorist camps, terrorists