India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar declared on Friday that the “era of uninterrupted dialogue” with Pakistan has ended, while emphasising that India will respond to developments, whether positive or negative.
Speaking at the launch of a book by Ambassador Rajiv Sikri, “Strategic Conundrums: Reshaping India’s Foreign Policy”, in Delhi on Friday, the Minister said, “Actions have consequences. So far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, Article 370 is done.”
“So, the issue is what kind of relationship we can contemplate with Pakistan…What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or a negative direction, either way, we will react,” he added.
On Afghanistan, Jaishankar said, as quoted by ANI, that there are strong people-to-people relations. “Today after reviewing our Afgan policy, we are very cleared eye about our interest…We are not confused by inherited wisdom that is before us…We must appreciate that Afghanistan with the presence of America is very different than Afghanistan without the presence of America,” he said.
On Bangladesh, the Minister said, “It is natural we will deal with the government of the day. We have to recognise that there have been political changes and they can be disruptive. Clearly, here we have to look for mutuality of interest…”
Jaishankar remarked that for any country, neighbours are “always a conundrum,” as are major powers due to their broad interests. “Major powers will always have an agenda, which will overlap with us, but to differing degrees, also diverge,” he was quoted by the Indian media as saying.
