India will deal with Pakistan bilaterally, won't give in to nuclear blackmail: Jaishankar in Berlin

Berlin [Germany], May 23 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday asserted that India will not give in to "nuclear blackmail" from Pakistan and will continue to deal with its neighbour strictly through 'bilateral' means, adding that there must not be any 'confusion in this regard'.

His remarks came in the aftermath of India's military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people.

Addressing a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Jaishankar further reiterated India's "zero tolerance" policy against terrorism, saying, "I came to Berlin in the immediate aftermath of India responding to the Pahalgam terror attack. India has zero tolerance for terrorism. India will never give in to nuclear blackmail, and India will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally. There should be no confusion in any quarter in that regard. We also value Germany's understanding that every nation has the right to defend itself against terrorism."

Meanwhile, Wadephul expressed disappointment over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, saying that India had every right to defend itself against terrorism.

"We were appalled by the brutal terrorist attack on India on April 22. We condemned this attack on civilians in the strongest terms. Our deepest sympathy goes out to all victims and their families. After military attacks on both sides, India, of course, has every right to defend itself against terrorism," the German Minister said.

However, Wadephul said that the truce must be maintained for dialogue and bilateral solutions between the two conflicting parties - India and Pakistan.

"The fact that the truce is now in place is something we appreciate very much. What is important now is that this truce remains stable and that dialogue can happen in order to find bilateral solutions for that conflict, taking into account the vital interests of both sides. Germany and India have been fostering a regular dialogue on the fight against terrorism for years, and we intend to intensify it further," he added.

Earlier in the day, EAM Jaishankar met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's best wishes.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across eight airbases in Pakistan. On May 10, India and Pakistan agreed to a cessation of hostilities.

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