Pakistan's Support For Cross-Border Terrorism A Cancer Consuming Its Own Body Politic: EAM Jaishankar

Jaishankar said India has to accelerate internal growth and de-risk its external exposure as he spoke about the challenges due to "the weaponisation of market instruments and financial institutions".

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar

Source : PTI

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, during the 19th Nani A Palkhivala Memorial Lecture on Saturday, ripped into Pakistan again as he noted that India's ties with Pakistan would remain an exception due to the latter's "support for cross-border terrorism", which he said was a "cancer" that was "consuming its own body politic". He also spoke about India's relationship with its neighbouring countries, highlighting  India's assistance towards Sri Lanka and how the country's ties are with Afghanistan and Myanmar.

"Pakistan remains the exception in our neighbourhood in view of its support for cross-border terrorism, and that cancer is now consuming its own body politic," Jaishankar remarked.

The foreign minister spoke about the challenges faced in India's neighbourhood, and said: "India's challenge has been to rebuild a neighbourhood in the aftermath of the partition. It is now doing so through a generous and non- reciprocal approach, funding and supporting energy, rail and road connectivity, expanding trade and investment and intensifying exchanges and contacts".

Citing examples from recent history, he stated: "In times of crisis, be it the pandemic or the economic meltdown, India has actually served as an insurance for its smaller neighbours. Sri Lanka discovered that in 2023 when India put together a package of more than USD 4 billion even while the rest of the world didn't."

Jaishankar further mentioned the current situation in Bangladesh and highlighted how mutual interest is important for closer cooperation. "It is also a reality that political developments may throw up complex situations as we are currently witnessing in Bangladesh. The very purpose of closer cooperation and contacts is actually to address such contingencies at the end of the day. It is the mutuality of interest that should be counted upon to prevail," he said.

On India's other two neighbours, Myanmar and Afghanistan, Jaishankar said: "We in India have long-standing people-to-people ties with both societies and we must be mindful that those more proximate have stakes which are quite different from others far away".

The EAM spoke about the areas covered in the ambit of Indian foreign policy and underlined the approach to diplomacy followed by India in the last decade.

Jaishankar said that India has to accelerate its internal growth and de-risk its external exposure to undertake rise in unpredictable circumstances as he spoke about the challenges faced by the world due to "the weaponisation of market instruments and financial institutions".

"The challenge for India is to undertake its rise in such unpredictable circumstances. To do that it has to accelerate both its internal growth and modernization as well as de-risk its external exposure. At home that is best done through political stability, broad-based and inclusive growth and continuing reforms. It means more focus on manufacturing, food and health security as well as building deep strengths that would make us more competitive," he said.

He also noted that India should not be behind in the development of critical and emerging technologies. "India may be non-west but its strategic interests ensure it is not anti-west," the EAM said.