Daily Times

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar declared on Friday that the “era of uninterrupted dialogue” with Pakistan has ended, while emphasising that India will respond to developments, whether positive or negative.

Speaking at a book launch event, Jaishankar remarked that for any country, neighbours are “always a conundrum,” as are major powers due to their broad interests. “Major powers will always have an agenda, which will overlap with us, but to differing degrees, also diverge,” he was quoted by the Indian media as saying.

Referring to China, Jaishankar noted, “In the case of China, you have a ‘double conundrum,’ because it’s a neighbour and a major power. So, the challenges with China fit this double definition.”

Jaishankar’s comments came during the launch of the book “Strategic Conundrum: Reshaping India’s Foreign Policy” by former diplomat Rajiv Sikri, which examines India’s relations with its neighbours and the associated challenges.

The minister highlighted ongoing debates in the region regarding SAARC and BIMSTEC, organisations focused on regional cooperation. “All of you know the difference,” he said, noting that these discussions underline the complexities of regionalisation.

“The real issue is that of overlapping identities versus forging new ones. So, everywhere there is history at play, but there is politics that often contests history, and this in a way is a perennial challenge for India’s relationships with all its neighbours.”

Addressing India’s relationship with Pakistan, Jaishankar said, “I think the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over. Actions have consequences, and in so far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, I think Article 370 is done. So, the issue today is what kind of relationship can we possibly contemplate with Pakistan.”

He also emphasised, “What I do want to say is that we are not passive, and whether events take a positive or negative direction, either way, we will react.”

On India’s relations with Afghanistan, Jaishankar noted the existence of “strong people-to-people relations” and goodwill at the societal level.