President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday said that international relations must be democratised and the process of United Nations reform expedited to make the Security Council more representative of contemporary reality.
The President also pointed to the dangers of terrorism and said India was determined to root it out. "We are determined to eliminate the scourge of international terrorism against which we have zero tolerance," she said while addressing a banquet in honour of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Micheline Calmy Rey.
"We look forward to working with Switzerland on other critical issues such as climate change, which require a global response within the framework of the UN, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities," Patil said.
Drawing a parallel between the foreign policy of Switzerland and India, she said Swiss foreign policy has been marked by a strong commitment to promote peace, respect for international law, the fight against poverty and the empowerment of women.
"The principle of gender equality to women is enshrined in the Indian Constitution. It not only grants equality to women but also empowers the state to adopt measures of positive discrimation in favour of women. My government is committed to the implementation of this directive," she said.
