Grilled over relations with Russia once again, S. Jaishankar has reiterated New Delhi’s stand on expanding ties with Moscow
India should be admired, and not criticized, for conducting a “smart” foreign policy that allows it to maintain a balanced relationship with partners in the West, as well as countries like Russia, Iran and others that are heavily sanctioned, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar asserted at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
Jaishankar made the remark while fielding a question from Financial Times editor Roula Khalaf during a session that also featured his counterparts from the US and Germany – Antony Blinken and Annalena Baerbock.
Khalaf sought to question the Indian minister on New Delhi’s close trade and diplomatic ties with Moscow. “So you can pick and choose alliances and you can pick and choose topics… You still buy Russian oil; is that okay with your counterpart from the US. Your relation is fine? You can do whatever you want, whenever you want?” Khalaf pressed.
“Is that a problem? Why should it be a problem?” Jaishankar responded. “If I am smart enough to have multiple options, you should be admiring me. You should not be criticizing me.”
The Indian diplomat argued it is important “not to reduce the entire complexity of our world” into “sweeping propositions,” stating that “good partners provide choices, smart partners take some of those choices.”
India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar demonstrated diplomatic finesse during the Munich Security Conference.
As he stood alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's… pic.twitter.com/lBtj6GvPXf