News Analysis India

Tag: Jaishankar

  • India looking at ways to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday was finalising contingency plans to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine after Russia launched a large-scale military attack on its neighbouring country even as the European Union reached out to New Delhi for its contribution to defuse the “grave situation”.

    With around 20,000 Indians stuck in Ukraine, the top brass of the government handling strategic affairs held a series of high-level meetings to put into operation certain contingency plans to assist the Indians.

    After Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a “military operation” in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, Russia launched multiple attacks on several areas in central and eastern Ukraine that attracted severe condemnation from the US and its allies.

    As the Ukrainian government declared a state emergency and closed the country’s airspace for civilian flights, the Indian embassy in Kyiv issued three separate advisories in the course of the day appealing to the Indians to maintain calm and remain safe wherever they are.

    The embassy said in view of the closure of the Ukrainian airspace, alternative arrangements are being made for the evacuation of Indian nationals.

    However, it did not provide any clarity on evacuation arrangements.

    Separately, the Indian ambassador to Ukraine, Partha Satpathy, called on Indians to face the current situation with “calm and fortitude” as the situation is “highly tense and very uncertain”.

    The envoy said the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassy are working on a “mission mode” to find a “solution to this difficult situation”.

    In the midst of the Russian offensive, European Union’s High Representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed the “grave situation” and how India could contribute to de-escalating the situation.

    “Received a call from EU HRVP @JosepBorrellF. Discussed the grave situation in Ukraine and how India could contribute to de-escalation efforts,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    The 27-nation European Union has been playing a key role to defuse the crisis.

    In its latest advisory, the Indian embassy said the movement of people is now difficult in Ukraine as it is under martial law and those hearing air sirens and bomb warnings should find nearby bomb shelters.

    “We are aware that certain places are hearing air sirens/bomb warnings. In case you are faced with such a situation, Google maps have a list of nearby bomb shelters, many of which are located in underground metros,” it said.

    “While the mission is identifying a possible solution to the situation, please be aware of your surroundings, be safe, do not leave your homes unless necessary and carry your documents with you at all times,” it said.

    The ambassador said the Indian embassy in Kyiv continues to remain open and operate.

    “I am reaching out to you from Kyiv. Today early morning, we all woke up with the news that Ukraine is under attack. The situation is highly tense and very uncertain and this of course is causing a lot of anxiety,” he said.

    “The air space is closed, railway schedules are in flux and roads are crammed. I would request everyone to stay calm and face the situation with fortitude,” Satpathy said.

    He said the embassy has already reached out to the Indian diaspora in Ukraine and requested them to assist the Indians to the “best of their abilities”.

    “I urge you to please stay wherever you are, in your familiar locations. Those who are in transit, please return to your familiar places of habitation,” he said.

    “Those who are stranded here in Kyiv, please get in touch with your friends and colleagues in Kyiv, universities and other community members, so that you can temporarily lodge there,” Satpathy said.

    Government sources said “contingency plans are being put into operation and that the immediate priority is to assist the Indians”.

    In one of its advisories, the Indian embassy said: “All those who are travelling to Kyiv, including those travelling from western parts of Kyiv, are advised to return to their respective cities temporarily, especially towards safer places along with the western bordering countries.”

    It is learnt that the government is exploring the possibility of facilitating the movement of the stranded Indians to Polland from where they can be evacuated. However, there is no clarity on it.

    In a related development, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Igor Polikha said India has a “special” relationship with Russia and it can play a more proactive role in de-escalation of the situation. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among very few leaders who President Vladimir Putin listens to and New Delhi can use its proximity with Moscow to control the situation.

    At the same time, he said Ukraine was “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s position on the crisis.

    India has been pressing for de-escalation of tensions taking into account the legitimate security interests of all countries.

    The situation in Ukraine deteriorated after Putin announced the military operation in Ukraine.

    Following Putin’s announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said an “invasion” could be the beginning of a “big war” in Europe.

  • Ukraine crisis figures in talks between Jaishankar and French foreign minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: France on Monday said the “rigorous dialogue” with Russia for respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity figured in talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris.

    Jaishankar arrived in Paris on Sunday on a day French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a marathon telephonic conversation to defuse the crisis in Ukraine amid apprehension of a Russian invasion of the eastern European nation.

    A day after the talks between Jaishankar and Le Drian, the French foreign ministry on Monday said they exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the situation in Ukraine.

    “The ministers exchanged views on international and regional issues, including the rigorous dialogue with Russia for the respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the discussions with Iran for implementing the joint comprehensive plan of action,” the French foreign ministry said.

    A press statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two ministers exchanged perspectives on the situation in Afghanistan, Iran nuclear deal and the evolving situation in Ukraine.

    “They reiterated their shared commitment to the principles of multilateralism and a rules-based order, and agreed to coordinate in the UN Security Council on issues of mutual concern,” it said.

    Though the US and its Western allies have been severely critical of the massive Russian military build-up near the Ukrainian border, India has not spoken against Russia as it has been pitching for “quiet and constructive diplomacy” to resolve the crisis.

    On the overall talks between Jaishankar and Le Drian, the French foreign ministry said the ministers agreed to deepen the Indo-French strategic partnership and cooperation in areas of defence, civil nuclear energy, space, and security.

    The two sides also adopted a “bilateral roadmap on the blue economy and ocean governance” through which France and India commit to joint actions to make the Indo-Pacific an area of sustainable growth, rule of law and oceans protection, according to the French readout.

    “They recalled the importance of intensifying people-to-people ties between France and India. In this regard, Le Drian recalled the goal of welcoming 20,000 Indian students in France by 2025, and proposed the establishment of an ‘Indo-Pacific’ campus in India focusing on training, research, and innovation in healthcare,” it said.

    The French foreign ministry also said that the two ministers reaffirmed their shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific governed by the rule of law.

    The situation in the Indo-Pacific and possible areas of cooperation are likely to be delved into at a ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, being organised by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Tuesday in Paris.

    The French readout also said that in view of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, a declaration of intent in the field of sport was finalised.

    “Minister Le Drian welcomed the many upcoming cultural events, including the cross-participation of France and India as guests of honour in the New Delhi World Book Fair and the Paris Book Fair respectively, and the launch of the 4th edition of the Bonjour India festival,” it said.

    “With over 130 cultural events taking place in India from March to May, Bonjour India 2022 will celebrate the friendship between France and India, thus marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” it added.

  • Jaishankar begins 3-day visit to France; to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in Indo-Pacific

    By ANI

    PARIS: External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Sunday began his three-day visit to France during which he will attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness in the region.

    During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

    Jaishankar will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

    EAM will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from EU and other Indo-Pacific countries on the sidelines of the Forum. He will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

    “EAM Jaishankar begins his 3-day visit to France, a key strategic partner; he will attend the EU Ministerial forum for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, hold bilateral meetings with @JY_LeDrian and @florence_parly, interact with think tanks and chair India Heads of Missions in EU Conference,” India in France wrote in a tweet.

    Meanwhile, China has formed 3,200 acres of artificial land in the South China Sea, raised an airstrip with the capacity to land fighter jets and large commercial planes, built 72 fighter-jet hangers, and commissioned 10-12 large aircraft on Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands. It has made military installations in the Woody Island of the Paracel Islands.

    The construction of these artificial islands is in clear violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, of which China is also a signatory.

    This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany and held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.

  • ‘India’s relations with China going through very difficult phase’: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    MUNICH: India’s relations with China right now was going through a “very difficult phase” after Beijing violated border agreements, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, underlining that the “state of the border will determine the state of the relationship”.

    Jaishankar, addressing the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 Panel Discussion here, said that there is a problem India is having with China.

    “And the problem is that for 45 years there was peace, there was stable border management, there were no military casualties on the border from 1975,” he said in response to a question from the host.

    “That changed because we had agreements with China not to bring military forces to the, we call it the border but it’s Line of Actual Control, and the Chinese violated those agreements,” Jaishankar said.

    He said that “the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship, that’s natural”.

    “So obviously relations with China right now are going through a very difficult phase,” the external affairs minister said, adding that India’s relations with the West were quite decent even before June 2020.

    The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    The tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020.

    Jaishankar, who was in Melbourne last week, had said that the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has arisen due to the disregard of written agreements by China not to mass soldiers at the border and noted that Beijing’s actions have become an issue of “legitimate concern” for the entire international community.

    The situation at the LAC has arisen due to the disregard by China in 2020 of written agreements with India not to mass forces at the border, he said.

    “So, when a large country disregards written commitments, I think it’s an issue of legitimate concern for the entire international community,” he said in response to a question during a joint press conference with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne.

    Jaishankar participated in the panel discussion on the Indo-Pacific at the MSC which is aimed at extensively deliberating on the escalating tension between the NATO countries and Russia over Ukraine.

    Asked about the situation in the Indo-Pacific, he said: “I don’t think the situations in the Indo-Pacific and transatlantic are really analogous and certainly the assumption in your question that somehow there is a trade-off and one country does it in the Pacific and so in return you do something else, I don’t think that’s the way international relations work”.

    “We have quite distinct challenges, what is happening here and what is happening in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, if there was a connection by that logic, you would have had a lot of European powers already taking very sharp positions in the Indo-Pacific. We didn’t see that. We haven’t seen that since 2009,” Jaishankar said, amidst an aggressive China flexing its muscles in the region.

    China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.

    Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

    Beijing is also involved in a maritime dispute with Japan over the East China Sea.

    Both areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.

    On quad, Jaishankar said its incarnation started in 2017.

    “It’s not post-2020 development. Our relations with the quad partners — the US, Japan and Australia — have steadily improved in the last 20 years. The quad has a value in itself. It is four countries who recognise today that the world would be a better place if they cooperated. And that’s essentially what’s happening,” Jaishankar added.

    In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China’s growing military presence in the region.

  • Jaishankar expresses shock over reports of deaths of Indians at Canada-US border

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday expressed shock over media reports that four Indian nationals, including an infant, have lost their lives at the Canada-US border, and asked ambassadors in the two countries to urgently respond to the situation.

    In a heartbreaking tragedy, the family of four, including the baby, all believed to be Indians, died from exposure to cold weather on the Canadian side of the border with the US in an apparent human smuggling operation, according to media reports.

    “Shocked by the report that 4 Indian nationals, including an infant have lost their lives at the Canada-US border,” Jaishankar tweeted.

    “Have asked our Ambassadors in the US and Canada to urgently respond to the situation,” he said.

    India’s High Commissioner to Canada Ajay Bisaria described the incident as a “grave tragedy”.

    “An Indian consular team is travelling today from @IndiainToronto to Manitoba to coordinate and help. We will work with Canadian authorities to investigate these disturbing events,” he said.

    Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Thursday said that the bodies of four people — two adults, a teen and an infant — were found on the Canadian side of the U.S./Canada border near Emerson on Wednesday. US officials say the dead are believed to be a family from India.

    They are thought to have been attempting to cross into the US, according to the media reports.

  • Jaishankar flags ‘sharpening of tensions’ on territorial issues across Asia amidst China’s rise

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: The consequences of China’s rise and its growing capabilities are “particularly profound”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said as he flagged the “sharpening of tensions” on territorial issues across Asia with Beijing’s actions raising a question mark on the agreements of yesteryears.

    Speaking at the fifth Indian Ocean Conference – IOC 2021 – in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Jaishankar also said that in a globalised world, it is vital that the freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce are respected and facilitated.

    Noting that a number of developments have taken place that have direct bearing on the well-being of the Indian Ocean region, the minister said that two developments – the changing American strategic posture and the rise of China – have influenced the evolution of the Indian Ocean in recent years.

    “Since 2008, we have witnessed a greater caution in US power projection and an effort to correct its over-extension. It may have taken different forms and be articulated in very different ways. But there is a larger consistency over three Administrations that they themselves may not readily recognise,” he said.

    “It is expressed in footprint and posture, terms of engagement, extent of involvement and nature of initiatives. Overall, the United States is moving towards greater realism both about itself and the world. It is adjusting to multipolarity and rebalancing and re-examining the balance between its domestic revival and commitments abroad,” he said.

    “The second major trend is the rise of China. Even otherwise, the emergence of a power at a global level is an extraordinary happening. That this is a ‘different’ kind of polity enhances the sense of change. The USSR may have borne some similarities, but it never had the centrality to the global economy that China has today,” he said.

    “The consequences of China’s growing capabilities are particularly profound because of the extrapolation of its domestic seamlessness to the world outside. As a result, whether it is connectivity, technology or trade, there is now an ongoing debate on the changed nature of power and influence.

    “Separately, we have also seen a sharpening of tensions on territorial issues across the breadth of Asia. Agreements and understandings of yesteryears now seem to have some question marks. Time will, of course, provide answers,” he said, apparently referring to the unresolved border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh since May last year.

    India has told China that it should adhere to the previously signed bilateral agreements on maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    The Chinese military’s aggressive moves in eastern Ladakh along the LAC with India last year triggered a border standoff between the two sides.

    The standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.

    China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.

    Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

    Asserting that difficult times require stronger international cooperation, he said the Quad – the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprising the United States, India, Japan and Australia – is a good example at one extremity of the Indian Ocean.

    “Within the space of a year, it has developed a robust agenda covering maritime security, cyber security, climate action, vaccine collaboration, critical and emerging technologies, higher education, resilient supply chains, disinformation, multilateral organisations, semi-conductors, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as well as infrastructure development.

    The old adage that where there is a will there is a way clearly has much to it,” he said.

    “Another promising endeavour is the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative that is being undertaken in the framework of the East Asia Summit at the initiative of India.

    It is a good illustration of the practical challenges that we, the nations of the Indian Ocean, face in terms of nurturing, securing and utilizing the maritime domain,” he said.

    He said that any serious discussion of a domain naturally involves an assessment of the rules that apply.

    In the case of the maritime one, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 is regarded very much as the constitution for the seas.

    “Especially in a globalised world, it is vital that freedom of navigation and overflight and unimpeded commerce are respected and facilitated.

    It is also essential that disputes, if any, are resolved through peaceful means without threat or use of force and the exercise of self-restraint in the conduct of activities.

    “As a state party to UNCLOS itself, India has always urged all parties to show utmost respect for the convention, including recognising the authority of its tribunal and its awards.

    Only then can we be assured that the sea lanes of communication remain conducive to peace, stability, prosperity and development,” he added.

    In 2016, an international tribunal ruled against China’s claims to rights in the disputed South China Sea.

    Beijing dismissed the ruling that favoured the Philippines and said it would not be bound by it.

    In August, the Presidential Statement on maritime security, adopted unanimously under India’s Presidency after the UN Security Council open debate reaffirmed in categorical terms that the 1982 UNCLOS sets out the legal framework for maritime activities, sending a strong message to China.

    Jaishankar also said that the American withdrawal from Afghanistan and the impact of COVID pandemic have significantly heightened uncertainties in the Indian Ocean region that is particularly vulnerable to health and economic stresses.

    On the existential issue of climate change, he said countries of the Indian Ocean have the highest stakes.

    “There is widespread disappointment about the lack of adequate progress on climate finance.

    Developing countries cannot consent to the developed shifting responsibilities,” he said.

    The theme of the fifth Indian Ocean Conference – IOC 2021 – is “Indian Ocean: Ecology, Economy, Epidemic”.

    The first edition of the conference was hosted in Singapore in 2016 followed by three successive editions in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Maldives respectively.

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  • Denying Indo-Pacific is tantamount to denying globalisation, says EAM Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As globalisation advances and becomes more diversified, there will only be a greater appreciation of the inter-dependence and broader footprints that the Indo-Pacific expresses, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    “Given this direction, denying the Indo-Pacific is tantamount to denying globalisation,” he said at a conference.

    The external affairs ministers said that the Indo-Pacific is a “fact of life” and the question of convergence is, therefore, more of perception than of reality.

    “Even those who ostensibly have reservations behave and operate in a manner that validates the Indo-Pacific. And that validation, as you all know, is in its very seamlessness and inter-penetration,” he said.

    “In truth, everybody is aware that there is a fusion of theatres that were unnaturally separated earlier.

    The politics of the day apparently creates some reluctance in admitting to that,” Jaishankar said.

    He was speaking at the third Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) organised by the National Maritime Foundation.

    In his remarks, he also mentioned divergences of views on the Indo-Pacific.

    “The answer is probably in the mindset, possibly even in their insecurities. If one is steeped in the ethos of the Cold War and even leveraged it to advantage, it is not easy to accept that others can approach the world very differently,” he said.

    “Especially if the objective is to create a wider, more collaborative and more democratic approach to achieve the common good,” he added.

    Jaishankar also talked about de-risking the world from “concentrated production” and “fragile supply chains”.

    “What then are the expectations of the Indo-Pacific? Most of all, the likelihood that policies of states which overcome psychological limitations create more opportunities for cooperation,” he said.

    Not just that, also the possibility that such endeavours that would involve greater participants would be based more on respect for laws, rules and norms, he said, “This is all the more important when, in the post-COVID era, we all seek to de-risk the world from concentrated production and fragile supply chains,” he added.

    Amid China’s muscle-flexing in the region, several countries around the world have come out with vision documents and strategies to ensure a free and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

    “In the domain of international relations, it is natural that new concepts take time to be digested.

    To facilitate that process, it is also important to show an openness of mind and acceptance that there can be many pathways to approach the Indo-Pacific,” Jaishankar said.

  • EAM Jaishankar holds ‘fruitful’ talks with Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Serbia on Sunday agreed to deepen economic engagement during “fruitful” talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selakovic.

    The Serbian foreign minister arrived here this morning on a two-day visit.

    “Warm and fruitful discussions with Serbian FM Nikola Selakovic. Reaffirmed our strong political bonds and independent stance in global politics,” Jaishankar said on Twitter.

    “Agreed to take forward our long-standing cooperation, especially on the economic side,” he said.

    Selakovic is scheduled to call on Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday before leaving for Doha.

    The trade ties between India and Serbia are on an upswing.

    The volume of bilateral trade was USD 142.7 million in 2016, which increased to USD 198.5 million in 2017, according to official data.

    The bilateral trade in 2018 was recorded at USD 214.8 million that comprised Indian exports of USD 202.6 million.

  • Eastern Ladakh: Jaishankar calls for early resolution of remaining issues in talks with Wang Yi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the two sides should work for an early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and that China avoid viewing its ties with India through the lens of a third country.

    In a meeting on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe on Thursday, the two foreign ministers exchanged views on the current situation in the region and agreed that military and diplomatic officials of both sides should meet again and discuss resolving the remaining issues at the earliest.

    Jaishankar also told Wang that India had never subscribed to any “clash of civilisations theory” and that Asian solidarity would depend on the example set by India-China relations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

    He also said the two sides need to establish a relationship based on “mutual respect” for which it was necessary that China avoid viewing the ties with India from the perspective of its relations with third countries, it said.

    On Twitter, Jaishankar said: “It is also essential that China does not view its relations with India through the lens of a third country.

    ” While Jaishankar mentioned “a third country”, the statement by the MEA talked about “third countries”.

    It is learnt that the two sides also exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

    In a statement, the MEA said on Friday that the two ministers exchanged views on the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh as well as on global developments.

    It said Jaishankar underlined that it was necessary to ensure progress in the resolution of remaining issues so as to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in eastern Ladakh as such an atmosphere in the border areas has been an essential basis for progress in the bilateral relations.

    “In this regard, the ministers agreed that military and diplomatic officials of the two sides should meet again and continue their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest,” the MEA said.

    “In this context, the external affairs minister (EAM) recalled that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had in their last meeting noted that the bilateral relations were at low ebb,” it said.

    The MEA said both sides in the previous meeting had agreed that a prolongation of the existing situation was not in the interest of either side as it was impacting the relationship in a negative manner.

    “The EAM, therefore, emphasised that the two sides should work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the MEA said.

    “The external affairs minister noted that since their last meeting on July 14, the two sides had made some progress in the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and had completed the disengagement in Gogra area,” it said.

    However, there were still some outstanding issues that needed to be resolved,” it added.

    Wang and Jaishankar had held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of another conclave of the SCO in Dushanbe on July 14.

    In the meeting, Jaishankar told Wang that any unilateral change in the status quo along the LAC was “not acceptable” to India and that the overall ties can only develop after full restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh.

    At Thursday’s meeting, the two ministers also exchanged views on the recent global developments.

    “The EAM conveyed that India had never subscribed to any clash of civilisations theory.

    He said that India and China had to deal with each other on merits and establish a relationship based on mutual respect,” the MEA said.

    “For this, it was necessary that China avoid viewing our bilateral relations from the perspective of its relations with third countries.

    Asian solidarity would depend on the example set by India-China relations,”it said.

    It said the ministers agreed to remain in touch.

    The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in Gogra area last month.

    In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

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  • Government committed to full evacuation of Indians from Afghanistan: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The government is committed to “full evacuation” of Indians from Afghanistan, where the situation is “critical”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday after briefing the leaders during the all-party meet on the Afghan situation.

    Asked about the government’s approach towards Taliban, he told reporters that the situation in Afghanistan has not settled down.

    “You will have to keep patience: Let the situation settle down.”

    Besides Jaishankar, Union minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were also present during the briefing on the latest situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban captured power there last week.

    As per the evacuation data shared among the participants at the meet, the government has evacuated –175 Embassy Personnel, 263 other Indian Nationals, 112 Afghan Nationals including Hindus and Sikhs, 15 third country nationals and the total figure stood at 565.

    The document also said the government also facilitated evacuation of Indians by other agencies.

    NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, DMK’s T R Baalu, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel are among those attending the meet.

    Jaishankar said,”on this (Afghanistan) matter all political parties have similar views, we approached the issue with spirit of national unity.”