Saturday, April 23 2005 10:15 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jakarta: Observing that breathtaking pace of change in the current times offered an "opportunity and a responsibility to act decisively", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (Apr 23, 2005) said India and Pakistan had ventured on a journey towards peace and good neighbourly relations amid a "sincere" desire to resolve all issues in a "mutually-acceptable manner".

Addressing the Asian-African Summit in Jakarta, he said "past rancour" can be transcended and new initiatives taken to "create new cooperative mechanisms and regional partnerships".

"The breathtaking pace of change in our times gives us an opportunity and a responsibility to act decisively," Singh told the leaders of 106 countries.

"We can transcend past rancour and take initiatives to create new cooperative mechanisms and regional partnerships," he said adding, "In this spirit, in cooperation with Pakistan, we have embarked upon a journey towards peace and good neighbourly ties."

Referring to his interaction with Musharraf at the dinner hosted by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday (Apr 22, 2005), the Prime Minister said, "I appreciate the positive sentiments expressed" by the Pakistan President, which I fully reciprocate."

"We are sincere in our desire to resolve all issues in a mutually acceptable manner," Singh asserted, adding, "This will surely bring benefit to our peoples and to our region."

Quoting former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he said, "When we march in step with history, success would be ours."

The Prime Minister told the conference being held to commemorate the 1955 Bandung Summit that absence of international consensus created insecurity rather than security in the world and global solutions were needed to meet the challenges posed by terrorism and HIV/AIDS.

He said new structures of mutual support, solidarity and cooperation should be created to ensure benefit of best practices and appropriate technologies available.

"Along with opportunities, globalisation brings with it new challenges. The globalisation of disease and insecurity and the management of scarce natural resources are challenges that confront us," Singh said.

"The threat of pandemics such as avian flu, the challenges by HIV/AIDS and terrorism, all require global solutions," he said.

He noted that a cooperative and consensual international security eludes us and its consequence of insecurity, not common security.