S jaishankar in Netherlands: "India dealt with nasty world, which Europeans were insulated from"

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India has had difficult neighbours which the West has always been insulated fromIn an interview with Netherlandsbased NOS Jaishankar said that the Europe has now woken up to the reality which India had been facing for almost eight decadesIve had difficult neighbors Pakistan and China especially Ive had a continuing problem of terrorism from Pakistan So Ive always had to deal with a degree of realism with a very harsh world a very nasty world which I think Europeans were insulated from he saidJaishankar was asked if India puts aside conflicts with its neighbours China and Pakistan the three can get rich together The interviewer then asked to what extent does the situation on the border with Pakistan and China holds India back economicallyWell you know its a very interesting question which you are asking me as a European Ill tell you why I find it interesting Because I think this part of the world is waking up to what it means if youre not given full attention to your security requirements Jaishankar saidJaishankar added that Indias security challenges were far more threatening than the case was in Europe So India had to prioritise security over economic cooperationOur security challenges were far more threatening than yours So we had to prioritize security You dont choose between security and economic prosperity Today you are realizing that They are part of the same coin he saidThe interviewer interrupted the EAM saying So my question is naiveJaishankar calmly answered So Im not accusing you of naivety Im just saying that your situation was different from mine he saidJaishankar explained how Europe enjoyed a favourable geopolitical situation post Second World War and in the 90s That led them to think that it was normalNo I think your question comes out of your historical experience Your historical experience has been that after the Second World War and certainly after 199192 you had the good fortune of enjoying a very favorable geopolitical circumstance And that has conditioned you to think that is a normal My situation is I didnt have that situation he saidJaishankar said that today however Europe is going through a reality check He added that one cannot choose between economy and security of a nationBut you are today going through a reality check in your own way Ive grown up with that reality over almost eight decades So for me its not a choice between oh if you are dealing with your security does it come at the cost of your progress I mean defending your country and your territory is the first duty of any government any people he saidIn response to the Pahalgam attack Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 targeting nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistanoccupied Jammu and Kashmir PoJK leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the JaisheMohammed JeM LashkareTaiba LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen HMFollowing the attack Pakistan retaliated with crossborder shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure communication centres and airfields across airbases in Pakistan On May 10 India and Pakistan reached an understanding on the cessation of hostilitiesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoeveratOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params