Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has criticized Western countries for being reluctant to condemn terrorism in Kashmir
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has said Western countries are hypocritical to expect India to take a strong stance against Russia, while shying away from condemning what New Delhi sees as Pakistan’s sponsorship of terrorism in Kashmir.
In an interview with Euractiv on Tuesday, Jaishankar reiterated that India refuses to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “We don’t believe that differences can be resolved through war – we don’t believe a solution will come from the battlefield,” he said. “It’s not for us to prescribe what that solution should be. My point is, we’re not being prescriptive or judgmental – but we are also not uninvolved.”
Jaishankar added that India is justified in questioning the West’s moral authority regarding international matters, given their past actions. “India has the longest-standing grievance – our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries,” he said.
“If those same countries – who were evasive or reticent then – now say ‘let’s have a great conversation about international principles,’ I think I’m justified in asking them to reflect on their own past.”
Jaishankar went on to say that India has a strong relationship with both Russia and Ukraine, adding that every country has its own history and interests. The foreign minister is on a one-week visit to Europe. This comes as India is involved in negotiations with the EU on a free trade agreement with the South Asian nation, according to media reports.
The trip comes close on the heels of a visit to India by a delegation led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to hammer out a trade deal. The EU has been critical of New Delhi’s lack of support for Western sanctions against Moscow.
India remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, despite the sweeping sanctions imposed by Western governments on Russia’s energy and financial sectors.
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