ASEAN cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy: EAM Jaishankar
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Friday.
“Insofar as the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the United States,” he told the Rajya Sabha.
Statesman News Service | New Delhi | December 7, 2023 7:40 pm
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (File Photo)
“Insofar as the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the United States. Those inputs were of concern to us because they (were) related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking, and other matters,” he told the Rajya Sabha.
His comments are significant since the US has alleged that an Indian official sought to hire a hit man to kill ‘Khalistan’ supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and impressed upon New Delhi the need to investigate the matter.
Advertisement
When asked why there was no equitable treatment with regard to charges made by the Canadian government, Jaishankar said, “Insofar as Canada is concerned, no specific evidence or inputs were provided to us. So the question of equitable treatment to two countries, one of whom has provided inputs and one of whom has not, does not arise.”
Meanwhile, on Pannun’s recent threat to attack Parliament on or before December 13, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We do take threats seriously. We are caught in a bind here. I don’t want to amplify too much credence to such extremists who make threats and get a lot of coverage. We have taken up this matter with the US and Canadian authorities. Extremists and terrorists tend to seek media coverage on an issue.”
On the threat to Air India, he said, “We would condemn any such threat and our security agencies will take appropriate actions.”
Advertisement
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the cornerstone of India's Act East Policy and its Indo-Pacific vision, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Friday.
''The Ministers will take forward discussions held during the last meeting in New York in September 2023 and exchange views on developments in the Indo-Pacific region, and review progress on Quad initiatives and working groups,'' the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
When after a year, India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 4 July 2024 for a formal discussion on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, he said there is a “need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement” in eastern Ladakh.
Advertisement