Don?t mix politics and sports: Pranab Mukherjee

While expressing his pleasure at Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani accepting Indian PM Manmohan Singh?s invitation for the cricket match at Mohali, Union Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said sports and politics cannot be mixed.

Commenting on Singh?s gesture to invite Gilani for the Indo-Pak cricket World Cup semi-finals at Mohali, Mukherjee said it was a courtesy extended by the Prime Minister.

?I am happy that the Pakistani Prime Minister has responded to it,? he said here on Monday.

Sounding a note of caution, he added, ?Let us not mix politics with sports.?

Mukherjee stressed on importance of good relations with neighbours and said India?s foreign policy always advocated better ties with bordering countries, including Pakistan.

?Our foreign policy is to live in peace with all our neighbours, though it may not be possible totally all the time,? he added.