Emphasizing India's unwavering commitment to the sovereignty of states and adherence to borders internationally recognized, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that nobody has supported Pakistan's military junta as generously as the West has.
He made these statements in an interview given to the German news portal Politiken, at the end of his three-country diplomatic tour of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, in Berlin now.
Our borders have been crossed by Pakistan in Kashmir ever since our independence in 1947. And what have we witnessed during these eight decades? That big, democratic Europe, to adopt your own terminology, has invariably stood with military dictatorships in the area. Nobody has backed Pakistan's military rule — and sabotaged democracy there in several ways — as much as the West," Jaishankar said.
Speaking of his own vision of Europe, as informed by his own experience, he went on, "You emphasize the inviolability of borders—so why don't we begin with the inviolability of my borders? That's where my world starts. But then we've always been instructed to work this out for ourselves."
India has traditionally questioned the overriding influence of the Pakistani military establishment in sponsoring cross-border terrorism. India believes that Pakistan's military holds a great deal of influence within the country's governance framework, allowing terror outfits to function with impunity across Kashmir, Afghanistan, and the entire region.
While interacting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other top officials, Jaishankar also talked about enhancing the strategic partnership, increasing counter-terrorism cooperation, creating robust supply chains, and meeting global security challenges.
On social media site X, Jaishankar posted, "Honoured to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz today in Berlin. Conveyed the best wishes of PM @narendramodi. Look forward to working with his government to strengthen and deepen our Strategic Partnership. Appreciate Germany's support as India responds to the challenge of terrorism."
He also met with Germany’s Minister of Economy and Energy, Katherina Reiche, stating, "Discussed ways to enhance our talent linkages, industry partnership, and joint collaboration to build more resilient supply chains."
Meanwhile, Jaishankar also had a "good conversation" with Gunter Sautter, Foreign & Security Policy Advisor to Chancellor Merz. "Discussed views on key global issues, such as fighting terror. Our strengthening partnership is a key element of stability in an unpredictable world. We will also cooperate on building resilience and trust," he commented.
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister held productive talks with German Bundestag members, praising their strong support for growing India-Germany ties. "Also discussed with them India's unambiguous commitment to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Jaishankar added.
