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New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) India is not competing with anyone, "including Pakistan", and would not act as an "external geopolitical balancer", National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon said Friday. Addressing the 15th Asian Security Conference 2013, on 'Emerging Trends in West Asia: Regional and Global Implications', Menon said that India would work closely with its partners in the region. "We do not see ourselves as an external geopolitical balancer. We are part of the region, we are not from far away. We will work with our partners across the region," Menon said. "We are not competing with anyone, including Pakistan," he added. Menon said that India and West Asia share a common goal of fighting extremism. On the ongoing crisis in Syria as rebel forces wage a war against the government, Menon said the issue needed to be dealt with through a political process that is led by Syrians themselves. The country has seen thousands getting killed since the uprising against President Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Menon said India would support peace initiatives in Syria, including the efforts of UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
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