Garima Sharma, Pune
On Thursday, the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, took a dig at China, claiming that Beijing has not adhered to long-standing written agreements with India and held it accountable for the border violence in 2020- the first in over 40 years.
There is the reality of very big power shifts in the Indo-Pacific. When there are shifts in power capabilities, influence, and ambitions, then there are all accompanying and strategic consequences of that,” said Jaishankar while addressing the Raisina Roundtable organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in Tokyo.
The free trade agreements between India, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates are two examples of how Jaishankar highlighted India’s expanding international connections. He also mentioned that the FDA negotiations with the United Kingdom and the European Union are progressing.
Jaishankar spoke about India’s ties with the Middle East, saying that India has managed a lot to maintain its relations even though there are many navigating divides and frictions in the region.
According to the reports, he is on a visit to Japan from March 6-8 to attend the 16th India-Japan Foreign Minister’s Strategic Dialogue with Yoko Kamikawa, his Japanese counterpart.
The Minister of External Affairs also emphasised that stability must be maintained while adapting to these developments, especially in light of expanding capabilities, impacts, and strategic ramifications. Jaishankar drew attention to the divergent actions, especially with regard to China, even if he hoped for a concerted effort to maintain stability.
The most significant military confrontation between the two nations in decades took place in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. Normalising relations with China is contingent upon maintaining calm in the border region, as India has often stressed.
On March 2nd, in an interactive event at a Delhi think tank, the External Minister restated a similar position. In order to promote improved relations between India and China,he underlined the significance of China adhering to border management agreements as well as the need for peace and serenity along the Lines of Actual Control.