DHAKA: In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, made in Hindi, India prime minister Narendra Modi said he was ready to engage in serious bilateral dialogue with Pakistan in a ‘peaceful atmosphere, without the shadow of terrorism’.

The PM also said, ‘It is up to Pakistan to create the right atmosphere and come forward for bilateral talks’.

Raising them in the United Nations was not ‘the way to make progress towards resolving issues between our two countries’, Modi said in an apparent reference to Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s mention of Kashmir and the two neighbors’ stalled dialogue in his speech at the same global forum Friday.

‘Terrorism is taking a new shape and new name. No country, big or small, in the north or the south, east or west, is free from its threat,’ said Modi, dwelling at length on the threat of terrorism globally.

The prime minister began his address by noting that India’s ‘philosophy is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (India sees the world as a family)’.

‘We believe in multilateralism,’ the premier said no one country can dictate to the world.

‘We need to respond to the demands of our times,’ he said.

In his 32-minute speech to the audience of almost 200 world leaders in New York, Modi also talked about Yoga, sanitation and the lack of electricity and drinking water in many parts of the world.

‘We will turn 70 next year. We have to ask ourselves - do we wait till we turn 80? No. The next year can be an opportunity,’ Modi said.

BDST: 2156 HRS, SEP 27, 2014