Pakistan not keeping its promise to dismantle terror infrastructure: Rao

Washington, Mar 16 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has made it clear that Pakistan is not doing its part to follow through on promises to dismantle terrorist organisations, adding that some of the leaders of these groups continue to have access to the airwaves to make threats against India.

Speaking at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, Rao said that Pakistan-Afghanistan situation would not be resolved soon as she felt that the problems between Pakistan and Afghanistan is one obvious, where the U.S. and Indian interests converge.

She urged Washington to see India as a mature partner with a powerful economy and that the challenge to the relationship is to take the current interaction to a higher level.

Rao was, however, cautious on the issue of Iran. She saw the situation as complicated and did not want to see sanctions currently under discussion to harm the Iranian people.

She also felt that Iran should have both rights and responsibilities if it wants to use nuclear power.

Rao addressed other regional issues such as China and said that India wants to view their large neighbour with the widest possible lens.

With China openly investing in Africa, she pointed out that the US and India can work together on helping boost development for the continent.

She promised that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would participate in the upcoming Nuclear Security Summit, set for April in Washington while downplaying concerns that the legislative process is delayed on the Indian side to fully implement the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation process.

ao did not appear worried that the demands of the U.S. domestic political scene will take away from Washington's growing relationship with New Delhi; instead, she repeated the position that it's time for India to take full responsibility on the world stage in organizations such as the United Nations Security Council and G-20. (ANI)