‘We want good neighbourly relations but…’: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on terrorism

Talking to the Indian diaspora in Cyprus, Jaishankar reiterated that India will never accept terrorism even though the nation wants good neighbourly relations.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | Updated: December 31, 2022 12:56 PM IST

3 min read

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addresses a Business community event, in Limassol, Cyprus, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (PTI Photo)

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In a veiled reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that India will never allow terrorism to be used as a tool to negotiate with any country.

Talking to the Indian diaspora in Cyprus, Jaishankar reiterated that India will never accept terrorism even though the nation wants good neighbourly relations. “What I think has been very clear from the policies and the performance of the Modi government is that there is no compromise when it comes to core issues. There is no country that has suffered as much as India because of terrorism. And we have been very clear that we never accepted it, and we will never normalise it. We will never allow terrorism to force us to the negotiating table. We want a good neighbourly relationship with everybody. But a good neighbourly relationship does not mean excusing or rationalising terrorism,” he said.

Talking about the border crisis with China, Jaishankar said the relationship with China is not normal as India didn’t agree to any attempts to change the line of actual control unilaterally.

“We have challenges on our borders. These challenges intensified during the Covid-19 period. And you all know, today the state of our relations with China is not normal. They are not normal because we will not agree to any attempt to change the line of actual control unilaterally,” the minister said.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, India and China have been in a constant tussle with each other with the latest being the Tawang clash in early December. This clash took place two and a half years after the deadly encounter between the two sides in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh in June 2020.

Also Read | China, West, G20 Presidency: Opportunities & concerns for India in 2023

Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Cyprus as India and Cyprus celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations. This is his first official visit to the nation.

During the speech, Jaishankar also said there are a lot of expectations from India from around the world as India is seen as a strong economy. Talking on the sidelines of the G20 summit, in which India assumed the Presidency on December 1, Jaishankar said India will bring as many countries to the table to talk at a difficult time in global politics.

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