New Delhi/Islamabad, May 2019 In their first telephonic conversation after the Balakot airstrikes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on Sunday that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism was essential for fostering peace and prosperity in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was Imran Khan who called up Modi to congratulate him on his re-election. “The Prime Minister thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan for his telephone call and greetings,” it said. Recalling his initiatives in line with his government’s “neighbourhood first” policy, Modi referred to his earlier suggestion to Khan to fight poverty jointly, the MEA said. mThe telephonic conversation came amid strained bilateral ties for nearly three months following the Pulwama terror attack and India’s subsequent aerial strikes on a terror training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot.
Khan had also congratulated Modi on Twitter last week after the BJP’s massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. Reiterating his vision for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia, Khan said he looked forward to working with Modi to advance these objectives, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said on Twitter. Modi and Khan are scheduled to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan next month. Meanwhile, as the flurry of congratulatory messages from foreign dignitaries subsided, the neighbourhood found salience, with the Maldives media reporting that Male could be Modi’s first overseas visit while Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has announced he would be present at Modi’s swearing-in. Till a while back, both Maldives and Lanka were deemed to have slipped into the Chinese zone of influence till elections brought back governments that have stressed the renewal of ties with India. Traditionally, a new Indian PM always selects a neighbouring country as his first overseas destination.
