Agence France Presse

Kolkota, January 12:

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today he wants “out-of-the-box” solutions to settle his country’s long running disputes with neighbours Pakistan and China. Singh told a meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India had to forge strategic relationships with the world, including Pakistan and China.

“We must move away from incrementalisation to seeking out-of-the-box solutions to the challenges we face,” said Singh. “Whether it is the challenge of development and political and social stability within South Asia or the challenge of stabilising our relations with Pakistan and China,” he added. “We must have the courage to question our assumptions and challenge preconceived notions. We must show a willingness to listen to others, even as we articulate our own concerns in a reasonable and convincing manner.”

“We cannot compromise on our core national security concerns, nor indeed can we compromise on the values that define our nationhood. In dealing with the outside world every nation draws a bottomline,” Singh said. “However, once we have drawn this bottomline we must have the imagination and courage to engage the world, to strike deals, to win friends and influence people.”