EAM Jaishankar: Entire neighbourhood 'minus one' has been a good story

In an obvious reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday while speaking at World Ecomic Forum said India's entire neighbourhood "minus one" has been a "fairly good story" for regional cooperation. abrogation of Article 370 provisions did come up for discussion in his meetings during recent US visit, Jaishankar ded at a session of India Ecomic Summit. "That is natural for many people when re is a change of status...," he said during a conversation with World Ecomic Forum president Borge Brende. Jaishankar said he "spoke fairly extensively" in US on Kashmir issue -- on background, history, "why we did, what we did" -- and asserted that a lot of it was new to people he discussed matter with. "Hardly anybody actually h a realisation that this (Article 370) was a temporary article in Constitution or misalignment due to fact that a lot of national laws did t apply in Jammu and Kashmir state. se were all new things to m," Jaishankar said.

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Discussing India's push for strengning of ties with its neighbours, minister said, "I would say entire neighbourhood, minus one, has actually been a fairly good story of regional cooperation." Asked if impasse with 'minus one' would continue, he said he hopes that someday even 'minus one' comes around to regional cooperation. "You put Kashmir aside for a moment...Today, with everybody else, tre, business, connectivity, and contacts are increasing. Surely, at some st, that would have an impact because you would see everybody else prospering with that cooperation," eternal affairs minister said.

"I always remain hopeful. I'm t unrealistic, I kw we have big challenges. y (Pakistan) have a mindset issue that y have to overcome," Jaishankar said. two-day India Ecomic Summit, which ended on Friday, was organised by World Ecomic Forum in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry.

Jaishankar said re is doubt that world has become more nationalistic, and a lot of that nationalism is ecomic nationalism and cultural nationalism. In India's case, nationalism is t a negative sentiment directed at world, he said. "India is an exception as we are more nationalistic, but at same time we don't see a tension between being nationalistic and being international in sense of engaging more with world, so nationalism is t a negative sentiment," Jaishankar said. Asked about possibility of a tre agreement between India and US, he said it is t that easy as it is a "fairly complicated matter". So if it is taking time it is fine, minister ded.

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Talking about South Asia cooperation, Jaishankar said, " Indian subcontinent is among least regionalised ecomies. PM Modi feels we need to do something about this and Indian ecomy is a lifting tide for this. You saw that politically when he invited neighbouring countries at his swearing-in ceremony in 2014. Asked about China's Belt and Ro Initiative (BRI), he said India has a longstanding position on that and it is connected with sovereignty matters.

Jaishankar also ruled out a rethink on BRI. On India's developing such initiatives on its own, he said, "We are us and t just some or country. It's t just in this initiative but in a whole lot of areas. My own sense is as India becomes bigger, fact is we will find concepts and analytics which are developed for or countries won't necessarily apply to us. expectation that we would copy models (from ors) which are very different in nature, I dont think that is very likely."

India has been critical of China's BRI as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).  India believes in a more collaborative approach and work with countries with a sense of partnership, he said. Asked if India would intervene as a mediator in some of conflicts in region, minister said, " Indian way would be very much that if you have relationships to talk about it and have conversations - but t declare yourself a mediator...and create that profile." "I would like to see Indian foreign policy have a bigger influence," he said.

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