The Indian government has told Sri Lanka that it needs to find a solution to the Tamil political question in order to make progress in trade between the two countries.
"We have told them (Sri Lanka) that you should resolve the Tamil issue if you want trade and commerce between Colombo and New Delhi (to progress)," Seshadri Chari, National Convener of Foreign Policy Cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party said, according to PTI.
Speaking at a forum in Singapore on "Prime Minister Modi's Government: Imperatives & Challenges", Chari said that the government of India decides on foreign policy issues and not Tamil Nadu or West Bengal, an apparent reference to the perceived veto the two states had with the previous administration in Delhi, PTI said.
He also said that the actual principles of India's foreign policy have not changed since the time of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
"What has changed is the tougher course of correction and response mechanism," Chari said.