‘Cost is not working with India’: Jaishankar on relations with neighbors; Mention Pakistan | Bharat News
New Delhi: The Foreign Minister has said that India should not expect “smooth sailing” at all times when it comes to relations with neighboring countries. Speaking in an interview on DD India, he said that New Delhi has worked to make “collective interest” with its neighbors – so that the governments change, but the relationship remains stable.“At the end of the day, every one of our neighbors should realize that working with India will benefit you, and working with India will not cost,” Jayashankar said.
He said that while most neighbors understand it, “Some take longer to realize, some consider it better.” But Pakistan is an exception, he explained, because its military controls the country and has created a “in-built hostility” towards India.On global powers, Jaishankar said that the United States could be unexpected, so India has made strong relations with it through several connections. Talking about China, he said that India should be ready to “stand” for it, especially since the Galwan struggle in 2020 spoiled the ties.He said that one of the major mistakes in the past was ignoring India’s border infrastructure. “China is a policy and ignoring the infrastructure of your border was absurd,” he said. He said that today, India is capable of protecting its interests with lakhs because “we have created a border infrastructure to make it possible.”Jaishankar also talked about India’s growing relations with her neighbors, Gulf countries, ASEAN and Indo-Pacific sector. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only set goals, but “there is a way to reach there.”He mentioned India’s ongoing Operation Sindhu to save citizens from the Israeli-Iran struggle, and remembered Operation Ganga as “the most complex one” during the war in Ukraine.On political instability in neighboring countries, he said that changes are natural, but India has tried to create a culture and system, where “collective interest is stronger than those who are advocating far.” He gave examples of Sri Lanka and Maldives, where relations are good despite the change of governance. About Nepal, he admitted, “We are often in their internal politics … we should not expect smooth sailing all the time.,“But you should not even throw your hands when things become difficult. This is a bad plan,” he said.On terrorism and Pakistan, Jaishankar said that 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were a “twist”. He said the attack was “uncontrolled” and India had followed the same policy towards Pakistan for decades – until the Modi government changed it.He pointed out the 2016 URI Surgical Strike, 2019 Balakot Air Strike and recent Operation Sindoor as an example of “new general”, where India shows that it would not just sit back. “You can do terrible things and think that you are on that side because you are on that side,” he said, but now “the initiative will not always be with you.”He also said that India’s action on terrorism and removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir should be seen as part of a major strategy, not different steps.Calling PM Modi a “leader of his time”, Jaishankar said that the mood of the people has changed, and Modi reflects the “confidence” of the country.Talking about global changes, he said, “What you are talking about is trendline, which has not happened one day, they developed over the years.” India has worked to have a strong relationship with major powers and various regions, aiming in the best position in the “multiple world”.Over the last 11 years, India’s foreign policy has focused on this idea of multi -polarity, Em Jaishankar said. “You need to imagine the world today … many poles are competing but cooperating with each other,” he said. India, he said, is trying to ensure that it is facing “least problems and most benefits”.
