New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday advocated concerted efforts to tackle terrorism which has assumed "serious proportions" as "trouble spots" in the world were spreading rapidly.
"Extremists appear to have access to abundant arms and resources through drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
"The trouble spots in the world are spreading rapidly and many important cities are being threatened," President's Press Secretary Venu Rajamony quoted him as saying in his address to the 2013 batch Indian Foreign Services probationers who had called on him.
Mukherjee said there is not only danger to historical and civilisational relics in these cities but their collapse also becomes a symbol of political destabilisation.
"Despite the Cold War having come to an end, the desired peace and tranquillity is still far from the reach of the people of the world.
Describing the current global situation as extremely complex, the President said "simplistic approaches will not be sufficient to understand current trends. Indian diplomats should take note of developments in the world with utmost speed. They should develop the ability and expertise to understand and analyse them."
Mukherjee recalled how officers of IFS have done an outstanding job at great risk to their own safety and security in situations like Lebanon and more recently in Yemen where Indian nationals had to be evacuated.
"These operations conducted with the support of a number of services and organisations testify to the skill and competence of the Foreign Service," he said.\
He asked the young diplomats to pay special attention to Non-Resident Indians whom he described as an important factor in India?s diplomacy.
The President said foreign policy is an extension of enlightened national interest in the context of the prevailing situation where diplomats should not only protect but also enhance the national interest.
