News Analysis India

Tag: S Jaishankar

  • Ties with China not normal, India won’t agree to any attempt to change LAC: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NICOSIA: India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues.

    Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus on Friday during his first official visit to this Mediterranean country, Jaishankar, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, also said that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India to the negotiating table.

    Jaishankar said India has challenges on its borders, which intensified during the Covid period.

    “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally,” he said.

    There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, Jaishankar asserted.

    Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”, according to the Indian Army.

    It is the first major clash between the Indian and Chinese armies since the fierce face-off in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

    The ties between the two countries froze since then with India making it clear that peace and tranquillity at the border is the sine qua non for the overall development of bilateral ties.

    The two countries have held 17 rounds of talks so far to resolve the standoff.

    In his speech, Jaishankar said no country has suffered from terrorism as much as India. “We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations doesn’t mean excusing or looking away or rationalising terrorism. That we are very clear,” he said without naming any country.

    “We will never normalise it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table,” he said.

    Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    INTERVIEW| ‘China will create trouble at sensitive points’, says army veteran Sudhakar Jee

    NICOSIA: India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he underlined that New Delhi’s relations with Beijing are “not normal” and there would be no compromise on core issues.

    Addressing the Indian community in Cyprus on Friday during his first official visit to this Mediterranean country, Jaishankar, in a veiled attack on Pakistan, also said that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India to the negotiating table.

    Jaishankar said India has challenges on its borders, which intensified during the Covid period.

    “Today the state of our relations with China is not very normal because we will never agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control unilaterally,” he said.

    There will be no “compromise on the core issue” of national security, Jaishankar asserted.

    Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the face-off resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”, according to the Indian Army.

    It is the first major clash between the Indian and Chinese armies since the fierce face-off in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

    The ties between the two countries froze since then with India making it clear that peace and tranquillity at the border is the sine qua non for the overall development of bilateral ties.

    The two countries have held 17 rounds of talks so far to resolve the standoff.

    In his speech, Jaishankar said no country has suffered from terrorism as much as India. “We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations doesn’t mean excusing or looking away or rationalising terrorism. That we are very clear,” he said without naming any country.

    “We will never normalise it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table,” he said.

    Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    INTERVIEW| ‘China will create trouble at sensitive points’, says army veteran Sudhakar Jee

  • 2022, a historic and remarkable year for India-US relations

    By PTI

    WASHINGTON:  The year 2022 has been a remarkable and historic year for the India-US relationship, top diplomats and experts from both sides feel and are confident that 2023 would be a momentous year for the ties between the world’s largest and oldest democracies that will determine the future of technology and innovation.

    During the year, President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice – first on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo in May and second on the margins of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here in September and held productive discussions on the entire gamut of Indo-US relations and the way forward.

    “2022 saw further consolidation of the India-US bilateral partnership in the direction and vision set by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden,” India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, told PTI as the year comes to an end.

    The intensity of high-level engagements continued in the form of Quad and Bilateral Summits in Tokyo, the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Washington DC, and visits by senior members of the Cabinet in both directions, he said.

    The year also saw the resolution of some old market access issues, the first-ever maintenance of a US Naval Ship in India, the Quad focus on STEM, the signing of an Investment Incentive Agreement, the launch of Technology Innovation Hubs as a collaboration of the respective science agencies, record level of trade and investments, etc, said Sandhu. “Our strategic convergences deepened, new initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) were launched while others such as I2U2 were strengthened,” Sandhu said in response to a question.

    Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu concurred with Ambassador Sandhu’s take on the bilateral ties, saying that he believes that the India-US relationship is one of the most consequential relationships in the world. This relationship, he asserted, will determine whether Asia remains free and democratic. “It will determine the future of technology and innovation. And increasingly, it will determine whether we will be successful in combating climate change,” he said.

    “This has been a remarkable and historic year for our relations,” Lu told PTI in response to a question.

    “We have successfully worked in both countries to move beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 and supported millions of people around the world with innovative vaccines,” he said.

    “We have worked together in the Quad to launch the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and the Partnership for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. We launched the US-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment which is working to support entrepreneurship and mentoring of women business leaders,” he said.

    Observing that the bedrock of this relationship has always been the people-to-people relationship, the senior American diplomat said more than 1 million people travel back and forth each year between the two nations. “This year we had a record number of Indian students studying in the United States, nearly 200,000. Our bilateral trade this year is on track to exceed last year’s record of USD 157 billion. This has been a very good year indeed,” Lu said.

    OPINION | Quad spreads its wings, but how high can it soar?

    According to Mukesh Aghi, president, and CEO of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, 2022 was “a momentous year” for US-India relations, as the two nations celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations.

    These 75 years symbolized a long journey that had humble beginnings from the Cold War era, long before India’s own economic growth story, he noted. Today, the relationship, which has been dubbed as the most important strategic partner of the 21st century, has moved long beyond symbolic platitudes between the world’s oldest and largest democracy to robust engagements across trade, defence, climate, and technology, Aghi said.

    Despite the pandemic, the bilateral trade between India and the US crossed the USD 100 billion mark in 2021, and in 2022, official figures state that the overall US-India bilateral trade in goods and services reached a record USD 157 billion, a drastic increase from the 2020 trade figures, he said.

    “The year 2022 has seen deep collaboration between various ministries and not just between the key principals and the Foreign Minister and Secretary of State. On the finance side, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent visit to India and meeting with her counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman. On the energy front, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri recently worked with his counterpart, Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm on the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership, and of course Minister Piyush Goyal and USTR Katherine Tai are in regular conversations on trade,” Aghi told PTI.

    Next year is going to take the relationship to a new level.

    “As we usher in 2023, I am confident that the bilateral relationship would cement even further to address the challenges of tomorrow, continuing to be a partnership for global good. India’s G-20 Presidency and the commonalities that India’s priorities as President have with the US will also be a significant factor in this,” Sandhu told PTI when asked about the India-US relationship in 2023.

    Excited about what lies ahead in 2023, Lu said India has the G20 presidency for the first time, and the United States looks forward to working closely with India at all levels of government in support of this important position.

    PHOTOS | Indo-US joint military exercises in full swing; kites and dogs get trained, too

    “This year we plan to move forward on intensive collaboration in the defence and clean energy fields. We have committed ourselves to support Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India efforts through more co-production of cutting-edge defence technologies in India,” Lu told PTI.

    “We are also working to provide the technology and financing to support the Prime Minister’s vision of 500 gigawatts of installed non-fossil fuel energy by 2030. We are collaborating in solar, wind, civilian nuclear, green hydrogen, and thermal energy projects. Together we can change the planet,” he said.

    “I am bullish about prospects for cooperation in the year ahead,” Lu said.

    In the year 2023, Aghi said the Russia-Ukraine conflict will continue to dominate global affairs as both Washington and New Delhi along with their G20 partners work to secure and prevent escalating energy prices and the shortage arising from food grains.

    There is also room for synergy not just in tech but space collaboration, as India and the US both have scientific prowess and with increased privatization and a growing list of unicorns in India, space tech startups will be a new engine of economic growth and scientific synergy, he said.

    “Most importantly, in 2023, India will be the President for the G20 summit. India’s G20 Presidency propels its role as an emerging leader in the global scenario. The leadership also gives a stronger voice to the challenges faced by the developing world as New Delhi leads the way with its increasingly growing economy,” he said.

    “India has already outlined priorities for G20 2023 pertaining to climate action, critical and emerging technologies, resilient supply chains, and vaccines. New Delhi can strive towards building an inclusive ecosystem with holistic mechanisms to address key global issues for the private sector,” Aghi said.

    WASHINGTON:  The year 2022 has been a remarkable and historic year for the India-US relationship, top diplomats and experts from both sides feel and are confident that 2023 would be a momentous year for the ties between the world’s largest and oldest democracies that will determine the future of technology and innovation.

    During the year, President Joe Biden met Prime Minister Narendra Modi twice – first on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Tokyo in May and second on the margins of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken here in September and held productive discussions on the entire gamut of Indo-US relations and the way forward.

    “2022 saw further consolidation of the India-US bilateral partnership in the direction and vision set by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden,” India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, told PTI as the year comes to an end.

    The intensity of high-level engagements continued in the form of Quad and Bilateral Summits in Tokyo, the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting in Washington DC, and visits by senior members of the Cabinet in both directions, he said.

    The year also saw the resolution of some old market access issues, the first-ever maintenance of a US Naval Ship in India, the Quad focus on STEM, the signing of an Investment Incentive Agreement, the launch of Technology Innovation Hubs as a collaboration of the respective science agencies, record level of trade and investments, etc, said Sandhu. “Our strategic convergences deepened, new initiatives like the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) were launched while others such as I2U2 were strengthened,” Sandhu said in response to a question.

    Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu concurred with Ambassador Sandhu’s take on the bilateral ties, saying that he believes that the India-US relationship is one of the most consequential relationships in the world. This relationship, he asserted, will determine whether Asia remains free and democratic. “It will determine the future of technology and innovation. And increasingly, it will determine whether we will be successful in combating climate change,” he said.

    “This has been a remarkable and historic year for our relations,” Lu told PTI in response to a question.

    “We have successfully worked in both countries to move beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 and supported millions of people around the world with innovative vaccines,” he said.

    “We have worked together in the Quad to launch the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and the Partnership for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. We launched the US-India Alliance for Women’s Economic Empowerment which is working to support entrepreneurship and mentoring of women business leaders,” he said.

    Observing that the bedrock of this relationship has always been the people-to-people relationship, the senior American diplomat said more than 1 million people travel back and forth each year between the two nations. “This year we had a record number of Indian students studying in the United States, nearly 200,000. Our bilateral trade this year is on track to exceed last year’s record of USD 157 billion. This has been a very good year indeed,” Lu said.

    OPINION | Quad spreads its wings, but how high can it soar?

    According to Mukesh Aghi, president, and CEO of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, 2022 was “a momentous year” for US-India relations, as the two nations celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations.

    These 75 years symbolized a long journey that had humble beginnings from the Cold War era, long before India’s own economic growth story, he noted. Today, the relationship, which has been dubbed as the most important strategic partner of the 21st century, has moved long beyond symbolic platitudes between the world’s oldest and largest democracy to robust engagements across trade, defence, climate, and technology, Aghi said.

    Despite the pandemic, the bilateral trade between India and the US crossed the USD 100 billion mark in 2021, and in 2022, official figures state that the overall US-India bilateral trade in goods and services reached a record USD 157 billion, a drastic increase from the 2020 trade figures, he said.

    “The year 2022 has seen deep collaboration between various ministries and not just between the key principals and the Foreign Minister and Secretary of State. On the finance side, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s recent visit to India and meeting with her counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman. On the energy front, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri recently worked with his counterpart, Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm on the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership, and of course Minister Piyush Goyal and USTR Katherine Tai are in regular conversations on trade,” Aghi told PTI.

    Next year is going to take the relationship to a new level.

    “As we usher in 2023, I am confident that the bilateral relationship would cement even further to address the challenges of tomorrow, continuing to be a partnership for global good. India’s G-20 Presidency and the commonalities that India’s priorities as President have with the US will also be a significant factor in this,” Sandhu told PTI when asked about the India-US relationship in 2023.

    Excited about what lies ahead in 2023, Lu said India has the G20 presidency for the first time, and the United States looks forward to working closely with India at all levels of government in support of this important position.

    PHOTOS | Indo-US joint military exercises in full swing; kites and dogs get trained, too

    “This year we plan to move forward on intensive collaboration in the defence and clean energy fields. We have committed ourselves to support Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India efforts through more co-production of cutting-edge defence technologies in India,” Lu told PTI.

    “We are also working to provide the technology and financing to support the Prime Minister’s vision of 500 gigawatts of installed non-fossil fuel energy by 2030. We are collaborating in solar, wind, civilian nuclear, green hydrogen, and thermal energy projects. Together we can change the planet,” he said.

    “I am bullish about prospects for cooperation in the year ahead,” Lu said.

    In the year 2023, Aghi said the Russia-Ukraine conflict will continue to dominate global affairs as both Washington and New Delhi along with their G20 partners work to secure and prevent escalating energy prices and the shortage arising from food grains.

    There is also room for synergy not just in tech but space collaboration, as India and the US both have scientific prowess and with increased privatization and a growing list of unicorns in India, space tech startups will be a new engine of economic growth and scientific synergy, he said.

    “Most importantly, in 2023, India will be the President for the G20 summit. India’s G20 Presidency propels its role as an emerging leader in the global scenario. The leadership also gives a stronger voice to the challenges faced by the developing world as New Delhi leads the way with its increasingly growing economy,” he said.

    “India has already outlined priorities for G20 2023 pertaining to climate action, critical and emerging technologies, resilient supply chains, and vaccines. New Delhi can strive towards building an inclusive ecosystem with holistic mechanisms to address key global issues for the private sector,” Aghi said.

  • Army will not let China change status quo along LAC ‘unilaterally’: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI:  Indian Army will not let China change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) “unilaterally” and its current deployment along the frontier was not seen before, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s handling of the border row.

    Jaishankar said the deployment of the Army was made on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Army did not go to the frontier region because Gandhi asked them for it.

    “Today we have a deployment of the Indian Army on the China border that we have never had. It is done in order to counter Chinese deployment which was scaled up massively since 2020,” Jaishankar said.

    He was replying to a question during India Today’s India-Japan conclave.

    “If we were in denial then how is the Army out there? The Army did not go there because Rahul Gandhi asked them to go. Army went there because the prime minister of India ordered them to go,” Jaishankar said, replying to Gandhi’s allegations that the government was hiding the fact that China took Indian territory along the LAC.

    The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a fresh clash in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. The incident came amid the over 30-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    “People will say things; they may not be credible, they may sometimes contradict their own positions, their own behaviour. All that could happen. But the fact is what is finally the proof of the pudding? The proof of the pudding is that the Indian Army is deployed today to counter any attempt to unilaterally change the LAC,” Jaishankar said.

    The external affairs minister said it is the commitment of the Indian Army to not let China change the LAC unilaterally.

    “I am saying that it is the obligation of the Indian state and that is the duty and commitment of the Indian military that we will not let any country, and in this case, China, change the LAC unilaterally,” Jaishankar said.

    “I think it is fairly obvious and most people in the country see that. You can make your polemical points. I think people will treat it as politics,” he added.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s criticism of the government for increasing trade volume with China notwithstanding the border row, he said that India continues to import from that country because there was no adequate focus on the manufacturing sector.

    Jaishankar said not much attention was given to the MSME sector and building supply chains as well after India opened up its economy in 1991.

    “When somebody says why imports are coming out of China, there are imports coming out of China because, for 30 years, you did not give your industry the kind of support and protection you should have,” Jaishankar said.

    “It is only now in recent years that you have started to do it. Now you cannot reverse in five or 10 years what you have done in 30 years,” he said.

    Speaking at the conclave, Jaishankar made 12 points about India-Japan ties and said the two countries have a “positive history” that will be an asset in the coming times.

    He said Japan is perceived in India as a model of harmonising modernity and tradition, adding there is a strong national consensus in India on developing ties with that country.

    “Traditionally, this was an economic relationship. In the past, global strategy had little impact on India-Japan ties,” he said.

    “Businesses have long had a footprint in each other’s economy. But, this did not become a deep one. Japan started approaching India with a strategic outlook under former PM Shinzo Abe,” he said.

    Jaishankar said Japan has been a catalyst of “change” and referred to Maruti bringing a lifestyle shift and Metro networks, an urbanization experience. “Bullet Train will have major consequences,” he said.

    Japan has been significantly supporting the Delhi Metro network. “Our strategic compulsions are much stronger today as we are united to secure a multipolar Asia. And to ensure that Asian diversity is reflected in its power structure,” the minister said.

    He noted that the maritime convergence between India and Japan is particularly strong and will grow in the years ahead. “The energy of the Quad will charge up our bilateral ties and reinforce them for mutual benefit,” he said, adding the big question is whether Japan will see India’s growth as a strategic goal.

    NEW DELHI:  Indian Army will not let China change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) “unilaterally” and its current deployment along the frontier was not seen before, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday, rejecting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the government’s handling of the border row.

    Jaishankar said the deployment of the Army was made on the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Army did not go to the frontier region because Gandhi asked them for it.

    “Today we have a deployment of the Indian Army on the China border that we have never had. It is done in order to counter Chinese deployment which was scaled up massively since 2020,” Jaishankar said.

    He was replying to a question during India Today’s India-Japan conclave.

    “If we were in denial then how is the Army out there? The Army did not go there because Rahul Gandhi asked them to go. Army went there because the prime minister of India ordered them to go,” Jaishankar said, replying to Gandhi’s allegations that the government was hiding the fact that China took Indian territory along the LAC.

    The Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in a fresh clash in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9. The incident came amid the over 30-month border standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    ALSO READ | Accused of altering status quo, Beijing downplays Arunachal border clash 

    “People will say things; they may not be credible, they may sometimes contradict their own positions, their own behaviour. All that could happen. But the fact is what is finally the proof of the pudding? The proof of the pudding is that the Indian Army is deployed today to counter any attempt to unilaterally change the LAC,” Jaishankar said.

    The external affairs minister said it is the commitment of the Indian Army to not let China change the LAC unilaterally.

    “I am saying that it is the obligation of the Indian state and that is the duty and commitment of the Indian military that we will not let any country, and in this case, China, change the LAC unilaterally,” Jaishankar said.

    “I think it is fairly obvious and most people in the country see that. You can make your polemical points. I think people will treat it as politics,” he added.

    Asked about Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s criticism of the government for increasing trade volume with China notwithstanding the border row, he said that India continues to import from that country because there was no adequate focus on the manufacturing sector.

    Jaishankar said not much attention was given to the MSME sector and building supply chains as well after India opened up its economy in 1991.

    “When somebody says why imports are coming out of China, there are imports coming out of China because, for 30 years, you did not give your industry the kind of support and protection you should have,” Jaishankar said.

    “It is only now in recent years that you have started to do it. Now you cannot reverse in five or 10 years what you have done in 30 years,” he said.

    Speaking at the conclave, Jaishankar made 12 points about India-Japan ties and said the two countries have a “positive history” that will be an asset in the coming times.

    He said Japan is perceived in India as a model of harmonising modernity and tradition, adding there is a strong national consensus in India on developing ties with that country.

    “Traditionally, this was an economic relationship. In the past, global strategy had little impact on India-Japan ties,” he said.

    “Businesses have long had a footprint in each other’s economy. But, this did not become a deep one. Japan started approaching India with a strategic outlook under former PM Shinzo Abe,” he said.

    Jaishankar said Japan has been a catalyst of “change” and referred to Maruti bringing a lifestyle shift and Metro networks, an urbanization experience. “Bullet Train will have major consequences,” he said.

    Japan has been significantly supporting the Delhi Metro network. “Our strategic compulsions are much stronger today as we are united to secure a multipolar Asia. And to ensure that Asian diversity is reflected in its power structure,” the minister said.

    He noted that the maritime convergence between India and Japan is particularly strong and will grow in the years ahead. “The energy of the Quad will charge up our bilateral ties and reinforce them for mutual benefit,” he said, adding the big question is whether Japan will see India’s growth as a strategic goal.

  • BJP holds nationwide protests, burns effigy of Pak minister Bilawal Bhutto for remarks on PM Modi

    By Online Desk

    The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”

    Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.

    Uttar Pradesh

    BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.

    BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    “Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”

    Gujarat

    Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.

    In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.

    A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.

    BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.

    “Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.

    Maharashtra

    Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.

    BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”

    Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.

    Jammu and Kashmir

    BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.

    “This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.

    BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    WATCH:

    (With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)

    The BJP held protests across the country condemning Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his personal remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    This comes after Bhutto traded barbs with India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishakar over terrorism at the United Nations. Jaishankar told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be a good neighbour” and called it the “epicentre of terrorism.” Responding to Jaishankar, Bilawal said, “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India.”

    Modi was the chief minister of the state of Gujarat when sectarian riots in 2002 left more than 1,000 people dead. He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence, and until his election was denied entry to the US.

    Uttar Pradesh

    BJP workers burnt an effigy of Bhutto and staged a protest march from the BJP office to Atal Chowk in Lucknow. On Friday, BJP workers in Mathura staged a protest against Bhutto and also burnt an effigy.

    BJP workers protest and burn effigies of Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari over his remarks against PM Narendra Modi, in Lucknow, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    “Thousands of BJP workers marched from the Uttar Pradesh BJP office to the Atal Chowk (in Hazratganj) and raised slogans against Bilawal Bhutto. The party workers, under the leadership of state BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, also burnt an effigy of the Pakistani foreign minister,” party spokesperson Hero Bajpai told PTI. Taking a jibe at Bhutto, he said, “Bilawal Bhutto is not a ‘videsh mantri’ (foreign minister), he is a ‘vidwesh mantri’ (hostility minister).”

    Gujarat

    Protests were held in Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Botad, Mahisagar, Junagadh and many other places. BJP activists raised slogans against Bhutto and also burnt his effigies in some places.

    In Gandhinagar, a delegation led by state BJP’s Yuva Morcha president Prashant Korat submitted a memorandum criticising Pakistan and the minister to Governor Acharya Devvrat at Raj Bhavan.

    A large number of party workers and leaders gathered at the Zilla Panchayat Chowk in Rajkot and shouted slogans against Bilawal Bhutto and demanded that he should apologise for his statement on PM Modi.

    BJP workers shout slogans during a protest against Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Ahmedabad, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    Gujarat BJP president CR Paatil dubbed Pakistan a ‘beggar’ and said Bhutto’s remarks on PM Modi have attracted criticism from the entire world.

    “Entire country is angry over Bhutto’s vile and shameful remarks about PM Modi. Pakistan is no less than a beggar. Its economy is so weak that Pakistan is forced to sell their assets, even its donkeys, to keep running the country. Pakistan needs to focus on their own condition before commenting on others. The entire world knows the misdeeds of the Bhutto family” said Paatil.

    Maharashtra

    Protests began in Pune and Mumbai simultaneously on Saturday morning with hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathering at major junctions with placards in their hands. They also burnt the effigies of Pakistan and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister while shouting slogans against them.

    BJP leaders stage a protest against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Mantralaya, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, in Mumbai, Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule led the protest in Pune, and said, “The party is holding a nationwide protest against the derogatory remarks made by Bilawal against PM Modiji. We strongly condemn his remarks.”

    Similarly, in Mumbai, hundreds of BJP workers and leaders gathered at various places and held demonstrations. They even played songs criticizing the Pakistan government and its foreign minister.

    Jammu and Kashmir

    BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest from the party’s office in Srinagar’s Jawahar Nagar area raising slogans against Bhutto and demanding an apology from him. The party works also burnt effigies of Bhutto and Pakistan.

    “This march is part of the country-wide protests by the BJP against Bhutto’s shameless comments against our beloved prime minister. This protest is against Pakistan which is a terror state,” the party’s Kashmir media incharge, Manzoor Ahmad, told reporters.

    BJP leaders burn an effigy of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari during a protest in Srinagar, Dec 17, 2022. (Photo | PTI)

    WATCH:

    (With inputs from PTI, ANI, AFP)

  • ‘New low even for you’: India blasts Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto for Modi attack

    By Agencies

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday came down heavily on Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for launching a personal attack on PM Narendra Modi, terming it a ‘new low’ even for that country.

    The latest exchange between the neighbouring rivals happened on the sidelines of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York across Wednesday and Thursday.

    Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar had told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be (a) good neighbour”, while terming the country the “epicentre of terrorism”.

    “Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard,” he had observed.

    In response, Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said India was seeking to conflate Muslims and terrorists in both countries.

    He told Jaishankar that “Osama bin Laden is dead, (but) the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India”.

    Bhutto Zardari went on to say that his country had lost far more lives to terrorism and that he himself was a victim, referring to his mother Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 2007.

    “Why would we want our own people to suffer? We absolutely do not,” he stated.

    WATCH |

    Responding to the exchange, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was a “new low even for Pakistan”, while quipping that “‘Made in Pakistan’ terrorism had to stop”.

    Bagchi said the Pakistan foreign minister’s “frustration” would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their “state policy”.

    “Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. No other country can boast of having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities,” Bagchi asserted.

    NEW DELHI: India on Friday came down heavily on Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for launching a personal attack on PM Narendra Modi, terming it a ‘new low’ even for that country.

    The latest exchange between the neighbouring rivals happened on the sidelines of an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York across Wednesday and Thursday.

    Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar had told Pakistan to “clean up your act and try to be (a) good neighbour”, while terming the country the “epicentre of terrorism”.

    “Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard,” he had observed.

    In response, Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said India was seeking to conflate Muslims and terrorists in both countries.

    He told Jaishankar that “Osama bin Laden is dead, (but) the Butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the prime minister of India”.

    Bhutto Zardari went on to say that his country had lost far more lives to terrorism and that he himself was a victim, referring to his mother Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber in 2007.

    “Why would we want our own people to suffer? We absolutely do not,” he stated.

    WATCH |

    Responding to the exchange, India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said it was a “new low even for Pakistan”, while quipping that “‘Made in Pakistan’ terrorism had to stop”.

    Bagchi said the Pakistan foreign minister’s “frustration” would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their “state policy”.

    “Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. No other country can boast of having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities,” Bagchi asserted.

  • India can play bridging role in divides caused by conflicts such as Ukraine: Jaishankar

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: India can play a bridging role in an increasingly divided world around conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.

    At the India Global Forum (IGF) UAE summit in Abu Dhabi, the minister highlighted two big divides in the world today, largely impacted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and analysed the role countries like India and the UAE can play.

    “One is the East-West divide centring around Ukraine and the other is a north-south divide centring around development,” said Jaishankar.

    “Ukraine is also having an impact on development. I do believe a country like India can play that bridging role, not alone but with other countries like UAE. There is the need today to bridge,” he said.

    Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, who was in conversation with Jaishankar during the summit session, called for a “quick end to the conflict in Ukraine.”

    “It will not end except politically. It is in our interest to ensure a political process that ends this conflict,” he said.

    Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The Russian action has been widely condemned by the US-led West. India has repeatedly called on Russia and Ukraine to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and end their ongoing conflict.ALSO READ | Sensible to get best deal in interest of Indians: Jaishankar on Russian oil

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue for the resolution of the conflict.

    In his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16, Modi said “today’s era is not of war” and nudged him to end the conflict.

    India has not yet criticised the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.

    Earlier, Jaishankar opened the UAE summit, organised by UK-headquartered India Global Forum, with a keynote address around the geopolitical developments in the region and the role being played by India and the UAE as “partners for global impact.”

    On UAE-India bilateral relations, the minister noted that the historic ties have within it “centuries of comfort” with an often “intuitive” element.

    He pointed to the UAE as India’s third-largest trade partner and second-largest export destination and an important partner as the country with more Indian citizens than anywhere else abroad.

    ALSO READ | Ukraine slams India for buying Russian oil, calls it ‘morally inappropriate’

    ABU DHABI: India can play a bridging role in an increasingly divided world around conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.

    At the India Global Forum (IGF) UAE summit in Abu Dhabi, the minister highlighted two big divides in the world today, largely impacted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and analysed the role countries like India and the UAE can play.

    “One is the East-West divide centring around Ukraine and the other is a north-south divide centring around development,” said Jaishankar.

    “Ukraine is also having an impact on development. I do believe a country like India can play that bridging role, not alone but with other countries like UAE. There is the need today to bridge,” he said.

    Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, the Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, who was in conversation with Jaishankar during the summit session, called for a “quick end to the conflict in Ukraine.”

    “It will not end except politically. It is in our interest to ensure a political process that ends this conflict,” he said.

    Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The Russian action has been widely condemned by the US-led West. India has repeatedly called on Russia and Ukraine to return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue and end their ongoing conflict.ALSO READ | Sensible to get best deal in interest of Indians: Jaishankar on Russian oil

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on multiple occasions and urged for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of diplomacy and dialogue for the resolution of the conflict.

    In his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan on September 16, Modi said “today’s era is not of war” and nudged him to end the conflict.

    India has not yet criticised the Russian attack on Ukraine and has been maintaining that the crisis should be resolved through dialogue.

    Earlier, Jaishankar opened the UAE summit, organised by UK-headquartered India Global Forum, with a keynote address around the geopolitical developments in the region and the role being played by India and the UAE as “partners for global impact.”

    On UAE-India bilateral relations, the minister noted that the historic ties have within it “centuries of comfort” with an often “intuitive” element.

    He pointed to the UAE as India’s third-largest trade partner and second-largest export destination and an important partner as the country with more Indian citizens than anywhere else abroad.

    ALSO READ | Ukraine slams India for buying Russian oil, calls it ‘morally inappropriate’

  • Modi govt focused on restoring India’s rich traditions: EAM Jaishankar

    He was addressing the Kashi Tamil Sangamam on the subject 'contribution of temples in society and nation building' being held here.

  • Classifying terrorists as ‘bad, ‘good’ on basis of political convenience must end, says India at UN

    By PTI

    UNITED NATIONS: The era of classifying terrorists as “bad” or “good” on the basis of “political convenience” must end immediately, a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council here has said, underlining that categorising terror acts by intent as religious or ideologically motivated will dilute the shared global commitment to fighting terrorism.

    India, the current president of the 15-nation UN Security Council, will hold two signature events on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism to be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on December 14 and 15.

    India proposes to organise a briefing of the Security Council on December 15 on “Global counter-terrorism approach, principles and the way forward” under the “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”.

    Ahead of the meeting, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asked that a concept note intended to guide the discussions on the topic be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

    “The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 were a turning point in the global approach to counter-terrorism. Since then, London, Mumbai, Paris, many parts of West Asia and Africa have also experienced terrorist attacks,” the concept note last week said.

    It added that these attacks highlight that the threat of terrorism is grave and universal and that terrorism in one part of the world seriously impacts peace and security in other parts of the globe.

    “The threat of terrorism is transnational. Terrorist actors and their supporters, facilitators and financiers collaborate while remaining in different jurisdictions to organise acts anywhere in the world. A transnational threat can be defeated only by the collective efforts of all States Members of the United Nations,” it said.

    Stressing that the menace of terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, the note said that all acts of terrorism are criminal.

    “Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned. There cannot be an exception or justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. The era of classifying terrorists as “bad”, “not so bad” or “good” on the basis of political convenience must end immediately”.

    It said that existing and emerging threats call for a renewed collective approach to terrorism.

    “Looking at the motivations behind terrorist acts and categorising such acts by intent as political or religious and by ideological motivation will dilute our shared commitment to fighting terrorism,” it said.

    The concept note voices concern that in recent times, there has been a resurgence of terrorist activities in both range and diversity, as well as in geographical space.

    “The threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, Al-Qaida, Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent and terrorist groups sheltering in Afghanistan has increased following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in August 2021,” the note said.

    It added that the collective expectation of the Security Council, expressed in its resolution 2593 (2021) that was adopted under India’s August 2021 presidency of the Council, was that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism, to threaten or attack any country, to shelter or train terrorists or to plan or finance terrorist acts.

    It however noted that “the threat prospects remain high.”

    Further, Africa’s home-grown terrorist groups have found ideological support from global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida and ISIL.

    “The terrorist threat was further complicated by pirates and organised criminal networks facilitating trafficking in arms, drugs, humans and finance for these terrorist groups. The threat continues to grow towards the coastal region of Western Africa.”

    The concept note said that proliferation of digitalisation, new and emerging communications and financing technologies has also increased the risk of these technologies being used by terrorist groups.

    The risk of radicalisation through the Internet and social media, and terror financing using cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding platforms, was heightened, particularly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    Member states have, in recent times, also witnessed the use of unmanned aerial systems for the surveillance of targets, trafficking in drugs and arms and the launching of terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure and public places, it said.

    The proposed high-level briefing also aims to provide an opportunity for Council members to build on the recent deliberations of the Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting in Mumbai and Delhi held in late October under the chairmanship of India, to “further share their views on the current state of affairs and to aim to arrive at key principles of the global community’s collective fight against terrorism going forward.”

    Among the guiding questions for the meeting is what are the trends that the global collective needs to be wary of in the fight against terrorism and how the sanctity of sanctions regimes against terrorists and terror entities can be safeguarded and made effective in combating terrorism.

    UNITED NATIONS: The era of classifying terrorists as “bad” or “good” on the basis of “political convenience” must end immediately, a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council here has said, underlining that categorising terror acts by intent as religious or ideologically motivated will dilute the shared global commitment to fighting terrorism.

    India, the current president of the 15-nation UN Security Council, will hold two signature events on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism to be chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on December 14 and 15.

    India proposes to organise a briefing of the Security Council on December 15 on “Global counter-terrorism approach, principles and the way forward” under the “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”.

    Ahead of the meeting, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asked that a concept note intended to guide the discussions on the topic be circulated as a document of the Security Council.

    “The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 were a turning point in the global approach to counter-terrorism. Since then, London, Mumbai, Paris, many parts of West Asia and Africa have also experienced terrorist attacks,” the concept note last week said.

    It added that these attacks highlight that the threat of terrorism is grave and universal and that terrorism in one part of the world seriously impacts peace and security in other parts of the globe.

    “The threat of terrorism is transnational. Terrorist actors and their supporters, facilitators and financiers collaborate while remaining in different jurisdictions to organise acts anywhere in the world. A transnational threat can be defeated only by the collective efforts of all States Members of the United Nations,” it said.

    Stressing that the menace of terrorism cannot be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group, the note said that all acts of terrorism are criminal.

    “Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned. There cannot be an exception or justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. The era of classifying terrorists as “bad”, “not so bad” or “good” on the basis of political convenience must end immediately”.

    It said that existing and emerging threats call for a renewed collective approach to terrorism.

    “Looking at the motivations behind terrorist acts and categorising such acts by intent as political or religious and by ideological motivation will dilute our shared commitment to fighting terrorism,” it said.

    The concept note voices concern that in recent times, there has been a resurgence of terrorist activities in both range and diversity, as well as in geographical space.

    “The threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, Al-Qaida, Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent and terrorist groups sheltering in Afghanistan has increased following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban in August 2021,” the note said.

    It added that the collective expectation of the Security Council, expressed in its resolution 2593 (2021) that was adopted under India’s August 2021 presidency of the Council, was that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism, to threaten or attack any country, to shelter or train terrorists or to plan or finance terrorist acts.

    It however noted that “the threat prospects remain high.”

    Further, Africa’s home-grown terrorist groups have found ideological support from global terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida and ISIL.

    “The terrorist threat was further complicated by pirates and organised criminal networks facilitating trafficking in arms, drugs, humans and finance for these terrorist groups. The threat continues to grow towards the coastal region of Western Africa.”

    The concept note said that proliferation of digitalisation, new and emerging communications and financing technologies has also increased the risk of these technologies being used by terrorist groups.

    The risk of radicalisation through the Internet and social media, and terror financing using cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding platforms, was heightened, particularly during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

    Member states have, in recent times, also witnessed the use of unmanned aerial systems for the surveillance of targets, trafficking in drugs and arms and the launching of terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure and public places, it said.

    The proposed high-level briefing also aims to provide an opportunity for Council members to build on the recent deliberations of the Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting in Mumbai and Delhi held in late October under the chairmanship of India, to “further share their views on the current state of affairs and to aim to arrive at key principles of the global community’s collective fight against terrorism going forward.”

    Among the guiding questions for the meeting is what are the trends that the global collective needs to be wary of in the fight against terrorism and how the sanctity of sanctions regimes against terrorists and terror entities can be safeguarded and made effective in combating terrorism.

  • Jaishankar says ties with China cannot be normal if Beijing continues trying to change LAC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s relations with China cannot be normal as long as Beijing tries to unilaterally change LAC and continues to build up forces along the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    Replying to queries by MPs after his suo motu statement on foreign policy in Rajya Sabha, the minister said India has made it clear to China that it will not tolerate any unilateral change in the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    “Diplomatically, we have been very clear. We have been very clear with the Chinese that we will not tolerate any unilaterally change to the Line of Actual Control. And that so long as they continue to seek to do that, and if they have built up forces, which in our minds constitute a serious concern in the border areas, then our relationship is not normal,” he said.

    READ HERE | As trust deficit with China stays, India beefs up LAC deployment

    China is reported to have built up military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

    Earlier this year, a top US general had described the Chinese activity along the LAC as eye-opening.

    “And the abnormality of that (relations) has been in evidence in the last few years,” Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    He said the military commanders of the two countries continue to engage each other.

    “I think given the sensitivity of that matter, it is something which is left to the military commanders to deal with,” he said.

    He went on to add that the House should be understanding of the national sensitivity of such a delicate matter.

    ALSO READ | India dismisses China’s concerns on military exercise with US in Uttarakhand

    Last month, the minister stated that the current standoff on the LAC has been “mischievously conflated” with resolving the boundary question.

    Relations between the two countries can only become sustainable on the basis of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, he had said.

    The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

    NEW DELHI: India’s relations with China cannot be normal as long as Beijing tries to unilaterally change LAC and continues to build up forces along the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    Replying to queries by MPs after his suo motu statement on foreign policy in Rajya Sabha, the minister said India has made it clear to China that it will not tolerate any unilateral change in the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    “Diplomatically, we have been very clear. We have been very clear with the Chinese that we will not tolerate any unilaterally change to the Line of Actual Control. And that so long as they continue to seek to do that, and if they have built up forces, which in our minds constitute a serious concern in the border areas, then our relationship is not normal,” he said.

    READ HERE | As trust deficit with China stays, India beefs up LAC deployment

    China is reported to have built up military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

    Earlier this year, a top US general had described the Chinese activity along the LAC as eye-opening.

    “And the abnormality of that (relations) has been in evidence in the last few years,” Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    He said the military commanders of the two countries continue to engage each other.

    “I think given the sensitivity of that matter, it is something which is left to the military commanders to deal with,” he said.

    He went on to add that the House should be understanding of the national sensitivity of such a delicate matter.

    ALSO READ | India dismisses China’s concerns on military exercise with US in Uttarakhand

    Last month, the minister stated that the current standoff on the LAC has been “mischievously conflated” with resolving the boundary question.

    Relations between the two countries can only become sustainable on the basis of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, he had said.

    The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

  • India and Germany ink mobility pact, discuss key global challenges

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Germany on Monday inked a mobility partnership pact and held comprehensive discussions on key global challenges including the Ukraine conflict, the situation in Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    At a media briefing after talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the mobility pact will make it easier for people to study, do research and work in each other’s country and is a strong signal for a more contemporary bilateral partnership.

    Jaishankar also strongly defended India’s import of crude oil from Russia and noted that it is largely driven by market forces.

    From February to November, European Union has imported more fossil fuel from Russia than the next 10 countries combined, he said in a sharp retort to a question on why India has been procuring crude oil from Russia.

    The German foreign minister arrived here this morning on a two-day visit to discuss ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including energy, trade, defence and security and climate change.

    At the joint media briefing, Jaishankar said that India’s position on the Ukraine issue is clear that this is not an era of war and that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue.

    The visiting German foreign minister described India as a role model for many countries and noted that Berlin wants to bolster its security cooperation with New Delhi.

    Asked about challenges facing the region from China, Baerbock said there is a need to assess the threats while describing Beijing as a competitor and rival in many ways.ALSO READ | Germany’s Scholz in China amid trade, Ukraine, rights issues

    “We now know what happens when a country becomes too dependent on another that doesn’t share the same values,” Baerbock said.

    Jaishankar said the situation in Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan figured in the talks. He asserted that there can’t be talks with Pakistan if it continues cross-border terrorism.

    Earlier in a statement, the German foreign minister described India as Germany’s “natural partner” and said that the country will have a decisive influence in shaping the international order in the 21st century.

    “The Indian government has set itself ambitious goals not only in the G20 but also at home for its own people. When it comes to expanding renewable energies, India wants to push ahead with the energy transition more than before. Germany stands by India’s side,” she said.

    The dramatic effects of the climate crisis affect us all, destroying livelihoods in Europe as well as in India, the visiting German minister said.

    “That we want to strengthen our economic, climate and security policy cooperation with India beyond our strategic partnership, are not empty words,” she stressed.ALSO READ | Must become voice of Global South: Jaishankar on India’s  G20 Presidency

    NEW DELHI: India and Germany on Monday inked a mobility partnership pact and held comprehensive discussions on key global challenges including the Ukraine conflict, the situation in Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

    At a media briefing after talks with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the mobility pact will make it easier for people to study, do research and work in each other’s country and is a strong signal for a more contemporary bilateral partnership.

    Jaishankar also strongly defended India’s import of crude oil from Russia and noted that it is largely driven by market forces.

    From February to November, European Union has imported more fossil fuel from Russia than the next 10 countries combined, he said in a sharp retort to a question on why India has been procuring crude oil from Russia.

    The German foreign minister arrived here this morning on a two-day visit to discuss ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including energy, trade, defence and security and climate change.

    At the joint media briefing, Jaishankar said that India’s position on the Ukraine issue is clear that this is not an era of war and that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue.

    The visiting German foreign minister described India as a role model for many countries and noted that Berlin wants to bolster its security cooperation with New Delhi.

    Asked about challenges facing the region from China, Baerbock said there is a need to assess the threats while describing Beijing as a competitor and rival in many ways.ALSO READ | Germany’s Scholz in China amid trade, Ukraine, rights issues

    “We now know what happens when a country becomes too dependent on another that doesn’t share the same values,” Baerbock said.

    Jaishankar said the situation in Afghanistan and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan figured in the talks. He asserted that there can’t be talks with Pakistan if it continues cross-border terrorism.

    Earlier in a statement, the German foreign minister described India as Germany’s “natural partner” and said that the country will have a decisive influence in shaping the international order in the 21st century.

    “The Indian government has set itself ambitious goals not only in the G20 but also at home for its own people. When it comes to expanding renewable energies, India wants to push ahead with the energy transition more than before. Germany stands by India’s side,” she said.

    The dramatic effects of the climate crisis affect us all, destroying livelihoods in Europe as well as in India, the visiting German minister said.

    “That we want to strengthen our economic, climate and security policy cooperation with India beyond our strategic partnership, are not empty words,” she stressed.ALSO READ | Must become voice of Global South: Jaishankar on India’s  G20 Presidency