I
TANAGAR: Reiterating New Delhi's stand on frequent Chinese claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday
said the northeastern state "is an integral part of India which cannot be parted with at any cost".
"There's no question of surrendering our sovereignty," said Mukherjee, who had earlier served as the external affairs minister before taking charge of the finance portfolio.
With China often claiming that Arunachal is part of it, this frontier state has been an area of contention between the two countries over the past decade. The neighbouring country has also opposed the proposed November visit of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Arunachal. Besides, the recent visits of President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state have not gone down well with Beijing.
"India has conducted 11 rounds of talks with the neighbouring country. We have maintained during the meetings that Arunachal cannot be parted with at any cost. Things are moving in a positive direction after each round of talks," Mukherjee said.
On the traditional trade between the two Asian giants, he said business between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China ceased after the 1962 aggression.
"In 1988, then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had visited China and taken up the issue of border trade with Chinese authorities. During my tenure as a foreign minister in 1995, we had opened two border trade points in Lekula and Sipkilla. And, during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabow in 2006, it was agreed that another trade point be set up in Nathula," he added.
Mukherjee was here to release the manifesto of the ruling Congress for the October 13 elections to the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly.
TANAGAR: Reiterating New Delhi's stand on frequent Chinese claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday
said the northeastern state "is an integral part of India which cannot be parted with at any cost".
"There's no question of surrendering our sovereignty," said Mukherjee, who had earlier served as the external affairs minister before taking charge of the finance portfolio.
With China often claiming that Arunachal is part of it, this frontier state has been an area of contention between the two countries over the past decade. The neighbouring country has also opposed the proposed November visit of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to Arunachal. Besides, the recent visits of President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the state have not gone down well with Beijing.
"India has conducted 11 rounds of talks with the neighbouring country. We have maintained during the meetings that Arunachal cannot be parted with at any cost. Things are moving in a positive direction after each round of talks," Mukherjee said.
On the traditional trade between the two Asian giants, he said business between India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China ceased after the 1962 aggression.
"In 1988, then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had visited China and taken up the issue of border trade with Chinese authorities. During my tenure as a foreign minister in 1995, we had opened two border trade points in Lekula and Sipkilla. And, during the visit of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabow in 2006, it was agreed that another trade point be set up in Nathula," he added.
Mukherjee was here to release the manifesto of the ruling Congress for the October 13 elections to the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly.
0 comments:
Post a Comment