External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, addressing concerns about the border standoff with China, stated on Saturday that China should not expect normal relations to progress amid the ongoing situation. Speaking on 'Bharat's Rise in Geopolitics' during an event, Jaishankar emphasized that solutions to complex situations take time and diplomacy is ongoing.
He highlighted that the India-China border is not mutually agreed upon, and an agreement was in place to prevent the amassing of troops by both sides. However, China violated this agreement in 2020, leading to a large deployment of troops and the Galwan incident.
Jaishankar explained that he had conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that until a resolution is reached at the border, normalizing other relations would be challenging. He emphasized the impossibility of engaging in trade while a border conflict persists.
Addressing the recent rift with Maldives, Jaishankar underscored India's efforts in building strong connections with the nation, focusing on infrastructure development, trade, investments, and people-to-people exchanges. He acknowledged that political differences can arise, but the overall sentiment of the people towards India remains positive.
On the topic of India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Jaishankar noted the changing dynamics and limitations of the UN. He expressed the belief that India, being one of the largest economies, deserves a permanent seat and acknowledged that the world recognizes India's growing importance.
Responding to the trend of Indians settling abroad, Jaishankar acknowledged it as a personal choice in a democracy. He stressed the importance of creating more employment opportunities in India and viewed the migration of Indians to sectors like hospitality, aviation, and shipping as a positive contribution to India's image globally.
(With Agency Inputs)
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