External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Friday, made it unequivocally clear that the era of interrupted dialogues with Pakistan is over, asserting that “actions have consequences”.
Speaking at the release of Ambassador Rajiv Sikri’s book ‘Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping India’s Foreign Policy’ here, he said as far as Jammu & Kashmir is concerned, Article 370 is done.
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On whether India is content with the current level of relationship with Pakistan, Mr Jaishankar said, “Maybe yes, maybe not. But what I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or negative direction. Either way, we will react.”
His comments came days after the minister, during his recent Singapore visit, spoke about Pakistan’s “almost industry-level” sponsoring of terrorism and emphasised that “India will not skirt this problem.”
Mr Jaishankar’s comments are also important in the backdrop of repeated demands by the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party in J & K that India should resume dialogue with Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that India has received an invitation from Pakistan for the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) meeting to be hosted by Islamabad.
Mr Jaishankar, in his remarks at the book release, also termed Indo-US ties as a valuable relationship. “The US is today indispensable for our multipolarity to go ahead. Nobody will say we have congruence with the United States. If we actually understand the expectations of the relations. It is not about an alliance and congruence, it is about convergences, overlapping interests, about the ability to work together on issues and areas and theatres which suit us,” he said.
“But there are regions and issues on which we profoundly agree with the US and there are issues on which we do not. It is on full public display,” he said.
