NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif that the sound of talks between the two nations will get lost in the din of bomb blasts, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj revealed today. On the visit of the Pakistan Prime Minister, she said Mr Modi had conveyed to Nawaz Sharif  during their bilateral meeting in Delhi yesterday that talks between the two countries will not be effective if bomb blasts continue.
“We told Pakistan that we want a good relationship. But talks can be effective and successful only if terror activities (directed against India) stop,” she said.”The sound of talks gets lost in the sound of bomb blasts. That is why bomb blasts should stop so that we can talk and our voices can be heard. Talks will get subdued under the din of bomb blasts. He (Modi) conveyed it to Mr  Sharif in these many words,” Ms Swaraj told reporters after assuming charge as the External Affairs Minister.
She added that India had asked Pakistan to ensure a speedy trial in the 26/11 terror case and the Pakistani side said they were working on it.Ms Swaraj also said that as External Affairs Minister, her priority would be to showcase India’s strengths to the world and improve relations with neighbouring countries, strategic partners, Africa, Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries, Europe and others.
She said the talks Modi had yesterday with the leaders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC nations, who had come to attend his swearing-in ceremony, were successful.
“He told the leaders that SAARC could not make an identity in the world because of bilateral issues. He said if bilateral contentious issues are left between the respective countries, then SAARC can emerge as a strong power,” Swaraj said.”I would like to say that for the first time, the SAARC leaders felt that a government and a Prime Minister who thinks out of the box has assumed power in India,” she said.
Replying to a question, Ms Swaraj said Mr Modi, in his talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had raised the issue of fishermen’s arrests as well as the reconciliation process to meet the aspirations of the Lankan Tamil community. “The Prime Minister raised the issue of Tamil fishermen. I have called them fishermen of Tamil Nadu from India. We have also raised the issue of 13th amendment,” she said.
India has been pressing for the implementation of the 13th Amendment which was introduced to ensure certain powers to provincial councils based on the provisions of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987.Asked what would be the new government’s approach towards the United States, Ms Swaraj did not explain in detail, but referred to the telephonic conversation Barack Obama had with Mr Modi and the invitation extended to him by the American President.
Ms Swaraj said she will also have a conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry. “We could not talk as per the scheduled time yesterday. We will talk after rescheduling it,” she said.Asked whether the new government will give more weightage to countries like Japan than the US, Ms Swaraj said it was not right to compare relations between the two countries. “You cannot compare the relations between the two countries. We have strong trade relations with Japan. But America has its own significance,” she said.

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