EAM Jaishankar addresses border issue with China, speaks on relations with US, Russia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday highlighted the concern over the prevailing situation at the border with China, describing it as "still abnormal". Speaking about the ongoing tensions between the two neighbouring countries, the EAM called the country a "significant neighbour", emphasising the need for diplomatic efforts to restore stability and maintain peaceful relations. 

Speaking at the India International Centre, Jaishankar said that state of the border with China continues to be unsettled, indicating a persistent lack of normalcy in the region. "The difficult one on the big stage has obviously been China. And I would say it's a subject on which I have spoken and spoken publicly before. At the end of the day, for us, we recognise it's a neighbour, it's a big neighbour. It's today a very significant economy and significant power. But at the end of the day, any relationship has to be based on a high degree of mutuality," he said.

"There has to be respect for each other's interests, sensitivity for each other's interests, and there has to be an adherence to agreements which were reached between us. And it is that departure from what was agreed between us, which is today at the heart of the difficult phase that we are passing through with China. And the bottom line there is at the end of the day, the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship. And the state of the border today is still abnormal," the EAM added.

EAM speaks on India's relations with US and Russia

In a notable comparison between India's diplomatic relations with China and the United States, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar expressed that the ties with the latter have been remarkably strong. He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent state visit to the US, describing it as the most fruitful visit by an Indian PM.

Acknowledging the challenging global landscape and the polarization of international politics, Jaishankar emphasised the exceptionally positive nature of India's relations with the United States. "Today, it's a very polarised world, and the global stage is so much more challenging... Our relations with the United States are exceptionally well. We have had the most productive visit in history... We have moved into a positive domain with the US for shaping the world for common purposes," he said.

"The attention being given to Europe is remarkable... The big issue before us is concluding the Free Trade Agreement... We are more hopeful than ever before," he added.

Regarding India's relationship with Russia, Jaishankar characterised it as very strong and cautioned against diminishing its importance. Despite periods of turbulence, Jaishankar asserted that India has maintained a steady and robust partnership with Russia. He criticised reducing the relationship to solely defence dependencies and underscored the upswing in the economic aspects of the bilateral ties.

"Our relations with Russia have been kept steady despite all turbulence. We have made our own evaluation over the years regarding the importance of this. It is a mistake to dumb down ties with Russia to just defence dependences. We have an upswing in the economic part of our relations with Russia," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)