India is willing to normalize ties with Pakistan through talks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Friday.
He also stressed that a terror threat, hostility and negotiations could not go together.
"We desire normal neighborly relations with all our neighbors including Pakistan. For this an environment free of terror and hostility is imperative," the diplomat said, adding that "India's clear and consistent position on this is well known."
Bagchi's comments came after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his readiness for negotiations with India on the normalization of bilateral relations.
Appealing to both India and Pakistan, Sharif stated that war was no solution to any issues existing between the two countries, and Islamabad was ready to talk about impending problems.
India and Pakistan relations reached a critical point after the Indian government abolished Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019. In response, the Pakistan government withdrew India’s ambassador.