Assuming charge, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said India will focus on finding solutions to border issues with China and the continued cross-border terrorism with Pakistan on the foreign policy front, in the third term of the Narendra Modi government.

“Assumed charge as the Minister of External Affairs. Thank PM @narendramodi for assigning me this responsibility,” he said on ‘X’ soon after taking charge at the South Block in the presence of Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and other senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

”Our focus with regard to China will be on finding a solution to the border issues,” he said, clearly indicating that India is committed to resolving the ongoing military stand-off in eastern Ladakh through dialogue.

Despite marathon diplomatic and military talks, India and China have not been able to resolve the Ladakh stand-off which began in April-May 2020.

On Pakistan, Dr Jaishankar said India wants to find a solution to the years-old cross-border issue. He said India has repeatedly emphasised that it will not tolerate cross-border terrorism and it cannot keep aside terrorism to improve ties with Pakistan. New Delhi has also said the onus is on Islamabad to create a conducive atmosphere in which there is no terror, hostility or violence.

Dr Jaishankar, a former foreign secretary, was the foreign minister in the previous Modi-led government too. He has been credited with giving a new direction to the country’s foreign policy, making India a major global player.
He also expressed optimism that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, India’s aspirations for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will be fulfilled within the next five years.

“I am fully confident that under PM Modi’s leadership, the foreign policy of Modi 3.0 will be very successful… For us, the influence of India has been steadily growing, not just in terms of our own perception, but also what the other countries think,” said the foreign minister, who is a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Highlighting India’s role as a steadfast ally to the Global South, Dr Jaishankar underscored the country’s commitment during times of crisis and its increasing responsibilities on the international platform. “They feel that India is truly their friend and they have seen that in times of crisis, if there is one country that stands with the Global South, it is India,” the foreign minister added.