External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday launched a veiled attack on neighbouring Pakistan, stating that terrorism cannot be used as a tool to force India on the “negotiating table”.
Jaishankar was interacting the Indian diaspora in Cyprus, where, without mentioning Pakistan, he said, “We will never normalize it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table. We want good neighbourly relations with everybody. But good neighbourly relations do not mean excusing or looking away or rationalizing terrorism. That we are very clear.”
“The second, of course, is our borders. And we have challenges on our borders. The challenges on the borders intensified during the COVID period. And you all know that today the state of our relations with China is not normal. They are not normal because we will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally. So on the foreign policy side, on the national security side, I can share with you a picture of firmness on diplomacy, on foreign policy, because that is something which I am,” he said, as per ANI.
Jaishankar is on the first official visit to Cyprus. Addressing the Indian diaspora, he also said that there are lots of expectations as India is seen as the one that solves problems. He further added that India is seen as a country with a strong economy and an independent nation.
India is negotiating three agreements with Cyprus on defence operations cooperation, migration and mobility agreement to facilitate legal movement of people of both the countries and agreement on International Solar Alliance, Jaishankar said.
He also said that Indians abroad are a great strength to the motherland. “Finally, let me say a few words about Indians abroad…from the time the Modi government came, I think we have been very clear that Indians abroad are a great source of strength to the motherland. I mean, there are absolutely no two ways about this. But just saying this is not enough. As we become bigger, as more Indians go out, the global workplace increases.”
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