Not in our interest to be tied down to exclusive relationships: Jaishankar at Kolkata lecture

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 30 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India is credible today as the "voice of the global south" and is viewed in the East and West as an "independent voice."

He added that it is not in the interest of India to be tied down to exclusive relationships.

Speaking about India's ties with different nations at the 'Syama Prasad Lecture, New India and The World' in Kolkata, Jaishankar said that India has "strong ties" with Russia, adding, however, that the ties between India and Russia should not become a burden to New Delhi's "equally strong" relationship with the United States.

To a question at the lecture, the External Affairs Minister said, "Here again, I think we should all appreciate that for us, we should not be ... it's not in our interest to be tied down to exclusive relationships. We have a tradition of strong ties with Russia but that should not become a burden or an obstacle to an equally strong relationship with the United States, or those two should not let us say stop us from Japan or Europe or whoever else we are looking at."

"So, I do not see our relationships as a kind of zero-sum game. On the contrary, my effort is to see if I can actually advance on multiple major relationships, regional relationships, all at the same time in the best possible fashion. Obviously, it's not easy, it requires a lot of nimbleness to do that, there are complications. But, that is today I would say the hard challenge for Indian diplomacy and one which we at least feel quite confident today tackling and I think Prime Minister Modi has shown that if you look at it, there are today two big divides. There is a East West divide because the West and the Russia, to some extent China and there's a North South divide - the developed countries and the developing countries," he added.

Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tried to position India advantageously vis-a-vis the East, West divide and North, South Divide, stressing that India is perceived as a very strong democratic power.

He added that technology relevance is "important" for the developing world.

"Now, if you look at where we are positioned and particularly if you look at the leadership which

Prime Minister Modi has taken. He has tried to position us advantageously both vis a vis the East, West divide and the North, South divide. We are credible today as the voice of the global South. We are seen in the East, West as an independent voice," Jaishankar said.

"We are also perceived as a very strong democratic power. So our technology relevance is very important for the developed world. So, how do you in a sense navigate a much more

complex world with many more variables going in many directions. That is really how the rise of India can take place faster," he added.

On the relations between India and China, which have been under strain in the wake of skirmishes on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said China must come to an understanding that relationships between major countries work only when they are based on mutual interest, sensitivity, and respect.

Jaishankar stated that the current downturn in bilateral ties was caused by China's violation of agreements from 1993 and 1996, specifically by moving forces to the LAC.

He said, "The present downturn in our ties was not our creation...It was created by China, it was created by China ..violating two agreements of 1993 and 1996 and moving forces to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in violation of those agreements."

"Now, if we are to have a decent relationship, I think...they need to observe those agreements, they need to stop trying to unilaterally change the status quo. They need to come to the understanding that relationships between major countries work only when they are based on mutual interest, mutual sensitivity, and mutual respect. They need to understand this. And my endeavour is to make them understand this," Jaishankar said.

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