Diplomacy needed to resolve Doklam: Swaraj

Reiterating government's stand that terror and talks cannot go together, External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday said that Pakistan's stand has changed in recent times. Replying to opposition's questions on government's foreign policies in Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said it is the first time after Pathankot terror attack that 'Pakistan has not gone on a denial mode'. She added that the Indian government has given a roadmap for peace and friendship to Pakistan but "one-sided roadmap can't function and terror and talks cannot go together.

Talking about Doklam standoff, Swaraj targeted Congress party over its vice president Rahul Gandhi's meeting with Chinese ambassador.

Swaraj said that "patience is key to resolving problems" because of patience is lost, there can be a provocation on the other side. "We will keep patience to resolve the issue," she said referring to the Dokalam stand-off issue with China.

"We will keep engaging with China to resolve the dispute," Swaraj added.

She also rejected any possibility of war with China. In response to questions, she said military readiness is always there as the military is meant to fight wars. "But war cannot resolve problems. So wisdom is to resolve diplomatically," the external affairs minister asserted." She expressed confidence that the issue can be resolved through bilateral talks.

Defending government's foreign policy, the external affairs minister said, "It is the success of our foreign policy that today also America and Russia is with India."

Earlier on Thursday, the Opposition on accused the government of having no stable foreign policy and asked it to spell out its roadmap to deal China amid the border stand-off which it wanted to be resolved diplomatically.

During a discussion on "India's foreign policy and engagement with strategic partners" in the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition parties said they are with the government in the face of "unusually aggressive" position adopted by China but wanted the country to be strengthened further militarily to ward off any threat.

The Opposition parties also accused the government of spoiling relations with the neighbours and felt that India should not be isolated in the process of isolating Pakistan.

"As we engage with our partner countries, please ensure that there is a balance. We should ensure that we engage with all of them. But we should ensure that there is a strategic balance," said Congress leader Anand Sharma while initiating the discussion.

Targeting PM Narendra Modi, Sharma said he had "not uttered a word" on what he has talked with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meetings in Astana (Kazakhstan) and Hamburg (Germany).