New Delhi: Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar on Monday said that India has engaged the Canadian government on the issues pertaining to Khalistani elements and stressed the need to ensure freedoms are not misused by forces that actually advocate violence and bigotry. 


This statement comes as a so-called Khalistan referendum is scheduled to take place in Canada's Ontario on November 6. It is being planned by the Sikh for Justice (SFJ) organisation, a group that is prohibited from operating In India.


ALSO READ | India Demarches Canada Over Khalistan Referendum Scheduled To Be Held On November 6: Report


Addressing a press conference in Australia's Canberra, S Jaishankar said: "From time to time we have engaged the Canadian government on this issue, and we've flagged the need to ensure that freedoms in a democratic society aren't misused by forces which actually advocate violence and bigotry", news agency ANI reported.


The External Affairs Minister was addressing the media with Australian counterpart Penny Wong after both ministers held the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD).


Western Countries Chose Military Dictatorships As Preferred Partners: Jaishankar


He defended the use of Russian arms by Indian forces saying that Western countries chose military dictatorships as preferred partners and were not supplying India with weapons for decades. 


"We have a long-standing relationship with Russia, and this relationship has served our interests well. We have a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons," Jaishankar said adding, "this inventory grew for various reasons including the West not supplying weapons to India for decades and in fact seeing the military dictatorship next to us as a preferred partner."






Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held broad-ranging discussions with his Australian counterpart on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its repercussions on the Indo-Pacific region.


"We discussed Ukraine and its repercussions in the Indo-Pacific region, the progress in Quad, G-20 issues, our trilateral, some things related to IAEA and climate finance sustainable development goals," he said, as quoted by ANI.


"We have been very clearly against the conflict in Ukraine. We believe it does not serve the interest of anybody, the participants, or the international community. As the country of the global south, we have been seeing first hand how much it has impacted low-income countries. As PM Modi said in Samarkand, this is not an era of war," the minister emphasised.


On bilateral issues, Jaishankar said: "We spoke about a whole lot of issues -- trade, economy, education, defence and security, clean energy and among the many agreements and understandings we reached. It is in our mutual interest to expand the diplomatic footprint in each other's country."


"There are some issues in which we see great potential in terms of giving a greater quality to our bilateral partnership," he added.


India And Australia Are Comprehensive Strategic Partners: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong


Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned that India and Australia are comprehensive strategic partners that recognise the Indo-Pacific region is being reshaped and it is in the interest of both nations to navigate through this together.


"Most fundamentally, we share a region, the Indio Pacific region. We got a shared interest and shared ambition which is our region being stable, prosperous and respectable of sovereignty and where countries are not required to choose sides but make their own sovereign choices," said Penny Wong, as quoted by ANI.


Both India and Australia "don't want to see any country dominating and any country being dominated." "We both recognise that our region is being reshaped both economically and strategically. Our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together," she added.


She emphasised the importance of partnership with India saying, "For Australia, this partnership (India), is a critical part of shaping the region we want." She said both countries have agreed to continue to deepen the relationship, including the diplomatic footprint in each other's country.


"We are looking to open a consulate general in Bengaluru, in the heart of India's technology industry sometime next year," she added.


Jaishankar arrived in Canberra on Monday and tweeted: "Arrived in Canberra to a Tiranga welcome. So happy to see the old Parliament house of Australia in our national colours". 


It is his second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne. 


(With Agency Inputs)