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Experts ask India, Pak to change mindset

India and Pakistan need to undergo a ''mindset change'' to shed their hostilities and pave the way for a genuine European Union-type of regional integration, speakers at a seminar on ''India and the European Union: challenges and opportunities'' in New Delhi said today.

The seminar, jointly organised by the India International Centre, European Commission and Centre for Human Sciences, wanted the political leadership in the two countries to create conditions for the mindset change.

It noted that the creation of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, though was a positive step forward, has not yet achieved its full objectives due to the stand-off between India and Pakistan.

The military coup in Pakistan has worsened the situation because of further freezing of bilateral relations, which were already low after the Kargil war between the two countries.

The present military leadership in Pakistan could have brought in a breakthrough in improving bilateral relations, if it sincerely wanted it. Unfortunately, it has succumbed to jingoism rather than getting out of it, the speakers noted.

C V Ranganathan, former Indian ambassador to Paris, said the coalition government in New Delhi would facilitate a foreign policy of greater compromise and understanding as every political partner was bound to agree for a consensus approach.

He pointed out that India would have to intensify its bilateral and multilateral contacts with major countries, particularly those in Europe and South Asia, to remove disagreements on issues including the nuclear question in South Asia.

Claude Blanchemaison, ambassador of France in India, pointed out that the concept of European Council and European Economic Community that led to the amalgamation into the present-day European Union, was an initiative to prevent wars after the Second World War and bring in long-lasting peace.

He said democracy, political will and a certain amount of people's consent were necessary for removing hostilities between nations and bringing in regional integration.

Dr Fredric Grare, director of the Centre for Human Sciences, said dialogues between nations and regional integration were necessary for regional and global peace.

UNI

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