New Delhi - India's new coalition government on Saturday said neighbouring Pakistan must take credible action against militants operating on its soil if it wanted to resume a peace dialogue with India.

"We stand ready to extend our hand of friendship and partnership to Pakistan if they take determined and credible action to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism operating from their country," India's new foreign minister SM Krishna told reporters.

"That has been a stumbling block and it is for Pakistan to take necessary steps so all of us can live in peace," he added.

Krishna took charge of India's foreign ministry as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh allotted portfolios to six of his 19 cabinet ministers a day after taking oath at the head of a Congress-led government.

India has halted a peace dialogue with its neighbour after the attacks by Pakistani militants killed 166 people in Mumbai last November.

New Delhi has maintained that it will resume talks only if concrete action is taken against terrorist groups based in that country which carry out attacks in India.

Regarding the situation in Sri Lanka, Krishna said that with the end of civil war, Colombo should now address the root cause of the problems of Tamils which will include effective devolution of power to all communities within that country's constitution.

Outlining his government's foreign policy objectives, Krishna said that India's primary objective was to sustain high rates of economic growth ranging between 9 to 10 per cent in the coming decades for which the country required peace and tranquility in the extended neighbourhood as well as supportive international environment.

Krishna said he would accord the "highest priority" to strengthen political, economic and cultural relations with India's neighbours even as the region is faced with instability with problems in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

"We will consolidate further our existing strategic partnerships with major powers like United States, Russia, China, Japan and the European Union".

He said he would also work towards advancing India's relations with countries in Africa, West Asia, Latin America and southeast Asia.(dpa)