Pacts must be respected to restore normalcy along the border, says Jaishankar

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The ties between India and China have come under “severe stress” and the agreements inked by both sides over the last few years must be respected “scrupulously” and in their “entirety” to restore normalcy in relations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

While delivering the Sardar Patel Memorial lecture, the external affairs minister, also made it clear that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) will not be tolerated by India.

During the lecture aired on All India Radio, Jaishankar also referred to cross-border terrorism and said India has to take an uncompromising stance to combat the issue.

“As far as China is concerned, ties were stable for three decades even as the two nations addressed inherited challenges and new circumstances. Peace and tranquillity in the border areas provided the basis for expanded cooperation in other domains. But as the pandemic unfolded, the relationship has come under severe stress,” the minister said.

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“To restore normalcy, agreements between the two countries must be respected scrupulously in their entirety. As far as the Line of Actual Control is concerned, any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is unacceptable,” he added.

India has been maintaining that the agreements inked between the two countries since 1993 for management of the frontier must be respected and effectively implemented, saying peace and tranquillity along the LAC is the basis for the overall development of the ties between the two nations.

“Large civilizational states re-emerging in close proximity will not have naturally easy ties. Their interests are best served by a sustained engagement based on mutual respect and mutual sensitivity,” Jaishankar said.

India and China have been locked in a bitter border standoff in eastern Ladakh for the past five months. Both sides have held a series of diplomatic and military talks to resolve the row. However, no breakthrough has been achieved to end the standoff.

Talking about India’s national security strategy, Jaishankar said advocating sweeping solutions without laying any groundwork is nothing but dramatic politics.

Breaking down silos and ensuring a more integrated governance process is just as important to performance. It has been a major priority in the last six years, especially with regards to national security, he said.

The minister also said that India will continue to prioritise the neighbourhood in the coming years. “As an outlook, the Neighbourhood First policy remains generous and non-reciprocal in creating the basis for shared activities in different domains. In recent times, India has also become more conscious of the extended neighbourhood, that is so much a part of its history and heritage,” he said.

About India’s ties with the US, Jaishankar said successive governments on both sides have steadily pursued what has become a non-partisan endeavour.

Talking about Russia, he said India’s relations with the nation have been “remarkably steady,” noting that the strategic logic that has sustained the ties since its early days still remains largely relevant.

Outlining a glimpse of the post-Covid-19 approach to India’s foreign relations, Jaishankar said, “India will approach the world in a more proactive way in the aftermath of the pandemic. Some of that will be driven by a global vision of its interests that it has steadily developed over the years.”

In a post-Covid-19 world, Jaishankar said Indian diplomacy will be more integrated with its defence and security needs, and more supportive of the country’s economic and commercial interests.