External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Members of the European Parliament, Angelika Niebler, Urmas Paet, Winkler Gyula, Vladimir Prebilic and Pilar del Castillo in Brussels. Pics/PTI
Tensions between India and Pakistan increased significantly after a terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which tragically resulted in 26 deaths. In response, India carried out targeted strikes on May 7 against terror facilities located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
The conflict between India and Pakistan stopped after military leaders from both sides talked and agreed to end military actions on May 10
In an interview with the European news website 'Euractiv', External Affairs Minister Jaishankar pushed for a free trade agreement between the EU and India. He pointed out that India, with its population of 1.4 billion, can provide skilled workers and offers a more dependable economic partnership than China
Responding to an inquiry about the recent four-day conflict between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar brought up Osama bin Laden, questioning why he felt secured living for years in a Pakistani military town
Jaishankar further emphasised that he wants the world to understand that the situation is not just a problem between India and Pakistan, it is primariliy about terrorism. He warned that this very same terrorism would eventually cause problems for other nations
When questioned about India's decision not to join Western sanctions against Russia, Jaishankar responed that India does not believe conflicts can be resolved through warfare or that solutions will emerge from the battlefield. He clarified that it is not India's role to dictate what that solution should be, stating that while India is not prescriptive or judgmental, it is also not involved in the situation
He also clarified that India has a strong relationship with Ukraine, not just with Russia. He added that every country, as is natural, takes its own experiences, history and interests into consideration when making decisions
Meanwhile in a post on social media platform X, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar shared that his discussions in the meeting focused on advancing India-EU cooperation in areas like connectivity, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), green shipping, and clean energy. He also highlighted that the signing of a trilateral cooperation arrangement will particularly benefit the Global South
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