National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon says, Sri Lanka should solve its ethnic Tamil issue in India's interest in a manner that makes the minority community confident that they are masters of their own fates. They should also be confident of their own destiny and free to enjoy their rights within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

He was delivering the 12th V K Krishna Menon Memorial Lecture organised by The Indian Society of International Law in New Delhi today. Menon said it is in India's interest that Sri Lanka remains a close friend and does not affect India's security adversely.

Menon said the definition of security has expanded and now it includes economic , food , energy and other aspects of human security besides the traditional aspects of defence and law and order. Comparing the present security environment with Cold War era, he said the power today is more evenly distributed but at the same time it is more “lumpy” in nature.

In political terms, the 50s were dominated by a principal contradiction of US or USSR. Today, there are multiple balances of power. He said the present world of “great fluidity” offers India a great opportunity.

On development of India, Menon in the area of defence, India has been stronger than it was ever before and since 1998 its strategic deterrence extends to nuclear power.

India has also learnt to deal with threats like cross-border terrorism.On economic progress, India has 30 years of 6.5 per cent growth and it is now the fourth largest economy. This was possible because of India's engagement with the rest of the world, Menon said.