NEW DELHI, May 31 � External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj today confirmed that India is going to take up repatriation of ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia with Bangladesh during Prime Minister Narendra Modi�s visit.
Addressing a press conference here, on completion of NDA�s one year in office, the External Affairs Minister, when asked about Chetia, said that the issue would be discussed with Dhaka during the bilateral interaction. �Chetia�s case is very much on the agenda,� she said.
As reported, India is expecting that Dhaka would finally relent and release Chetia following the newly found bonhomie after ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) by the Parliament.
Meanwhile, Swaraj ruled out the possibility of signing of the Teesta Water Sharing Agreement with Bangladesh during the ensuing visit, saying that final formalities pertaining to the LBA may be completed during Modi�s visit. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is accompanying the Prime Minister to Bangladesh.
Referring to Pakistan, Swaraj said India�s dialogue with the neighbouring country can only materialise in a peaceful environment. She said the environment for dialogue can only be created when Pakistan takes action against the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, particularly Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The Minister said that the Indo-Pak relation is based on three principles for dialogue. The first principle is that both countries should be ready to resolve all issues in a peaceful manner, and secondly, no third party should be involved. Thirdly, she said, talks should take place in a non-violent zone.
Replying a question on the threat of Islamic State (IS), the Minister said that the Home Ministry has imposed a ban on the terror outfit and it will be dealt with the way banned organisations are treated. She said the government is pursuing the matter of the 39 Indian nationals abducted in Iraq.
Saying that a country�s foreign policy is considered efficient if visits and dialogue bring desired outcomes, Swaraj said India has held communication and discussions with 101 countries in the past one year. She said there has been a 39 per cent increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as compared to the previous year. Her Ministry is using diplomacy to further the development programmes of government, she pointed out.
The External Affairs Minister also said the government has sent a proposal for Memorandum of Understanding to Germany saying it is ready to teach German as an additional language. However, she said, in return, Germany must also teach Sanskrit or any other modern Indian language.
Swaraj also released a booklet titled Transformational Diplomacy on the occasion.
