EAM ahead of Goa meet: Ties with China 'abnormal' due to violation of border pacts

New Delhi, April 29

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India wants to ensure that its relations with all countries advance without seeking exclusivity but said there were exceptions like China and Pakistan.

He said Pakistan remains an exception to India’s desire to improve ties with all countries due to its backing of cross-border terrorism. China falls into a somewhat different category because of the “abnormal” nature of ties due to violation of border-management agreements by Beijing, Jaishankar said. The EAM made these observations in Santo Domingo where he also inaugurated the Indian Embassy.

‘Peace efforts not sign of weakness’

Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir said they were capable of defending the nation, and its ‘efforts for peace should not be taken as a sign of weakness’. “Pakistan wants peace with its neighbours, but our efforts should not be misconstrued,” he said. PTI

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The observations come a week ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ meet in Goa where he will run into Chinese and Pakistan Foreign Ministers. He was addressing the diplomatic corps of the Dominican Republic. “Whether it is the US, Europe, Russia or Japan, we are trying to ensure that all these ties advance without seeking exclusivity. China falls in a somewhat different category because of the boundary dispute and the currently abnormal nature of our ties. That is an outcome of a violation of agreements regarding border management by them,” he said in this respect.

“India’s most pressing priorities are obviously in its neighbourhood. Given its size and economic strength, it is very much for the collective benefit that India takes a generous and non-reciprocal approach to cooperation with smaller neighbours. And that’s exactly what we have done in the last decade,” he said.

“It has seen a dramatic expansion in connectivity, contacts and cooperation across the region. The exception to this, of course, is Pakistan in view of cross-border terrorism. But whether it is the Covid challenge or more recent debt pressures, India has always stepped up for its neighbours,” Jaishankar said. India, for instance, extended over $4 billion of economic support to Sri Lanka during its recent economic meltdown.

“We are also practising the approach of engaging all major centres of power. Such multi-alignment reflects the reality of multi-polarity. Obviously, each engagement has its own particular weight and focus,” he added.

Jaishankar was joined by Vice-President of Dominican Republic Raquel Pena in the inauguration of the Indian Embassy.

“The establishment of this embassy will mark a new phase of our cooperation. We will take this relationship to still greater levels. We certainly look forward to continuing high-level exchanges between our two countries,” he said.