Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has distanced India from the political turmoil in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Jaishankar told journalists here on Tuesday: “The situation in Sri Lanka is very sensitive and complicated. Many developments are underway in Sri Lanka, even as we speak. Sri Lankans are our neighbours and friendly people. India wants to help them tide over their current economic travails. India’s focus is on the economic aspects. Other issues are not bothering India.”
When asked about the alleged Chinese trespass on India’s border along the Line of Control (LoC), Mr. Jaishankar said: “Chinese incursions in 1962 or Chinese incursions in Rahul Gandhi’s mind?. I don’t see anything particularly new on the front.”
Mr. Jaishankar said the issue on the border stemmed from the Chinese occupation of Indian territory in 1962. “The Chinese came and occupied large areas, including Ladakh. These are strategic areas which pose certain challenges to our border forces as far as what happened in the last two years,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar said India effectively countered any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo along the border. “We won’t countenance such measures. Currently, India and China are parleying at the diplomatic and military levels. The focus is determining whether disengagement is possible at friction points where both Indian and Chinese forces are deployed close. I had flagged the matter with my Chinese counterpart last week,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar said national security was Centre’s “number-one” priority. “On the LoC with China, despite COVID-19, India sent an enormous number of troops to defend the border,” he said.
When asked about the “sea guard” Naval exercise involving China and Pakistan, Mr. Jaishankar said: “We perceive an increase in maritime activity. India has a national maritime security coordinator Admiral Ashok Kumar, who hails from Kerala.”
Mr. Jaishankar mourned the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “Abe was a strong proponent of enhanced Indo-Japanese relationship. He wanted Japan to contribute more to global security. I have known him for 25 years. It is also a personal loss,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar dismissed the “propaganda” that India had assumed a strident image internationally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “World sees India as a sharing, democratic and tolerant polity willing to help everybody. Our international COVID-19 response tells.”
Mr. Jaishankar also defended India’s decision to purchase oil from countries sanctioned by the West to insulate citizens from the vagaries of the international oil market.
