New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that China has not followed bilateral agreements on the border issue, which has tarnished the foundation of India’s ties with China. Speaking in Moscow, where he will hold talks with his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Friday, Jaishankar said that for the past year, there was a lot of concern about India-China relations as China did not heed past agreements.
Jaishankar said, “After 45 years, we actually had an incident on the border with casualties, and peace on the border is the foundation of relations with a neighbor, for any country. So naturally, the foundation (sic) has gone bad. India and China reached a 5-point agreement in Moscow last year to resolve the LAC standoff. However, despite India’s repeated assertions that early and complete disintegration is necessary for the overall development of relations, China is far from complete. Jaishankar, however, said that there is no nuclear arms race between India and China.
In talks with Lavrov on Friday, the two countries are expected to focus on the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking on ties with Russia, at one time many believed that India’s growing ties with the US and Moscow’s move closer to Pakistan have strained ties, Jaishankar said at the core of contemporary India-Russia relations. There is an embrace of multi-polarity and that operating principle of the multi-polar world was a legitimate pursuit of flexibility without seeking specificity.
“We must also recognize that translating a multi-polar algorithm on the ground is not easy, it is much more difficult than it sounds,” he said, adding that while widening the options, an important concern is one. To ensure continued sensitivity to the interests of the vital. Even as Russia refused to accede to the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said India and Russia’s ability to work together on initiatives is facilitated by their shared belief in the centrality of ASEAN.
Jaishankar said, “On the political front, it is necessary for India and Russia to work together to ensure the stability and diversity of the world. This includes an emphasis on respecting agreements and adhering to laws. On the economic side, there is a growing realization on the importance of flexible and reliable supply chains. Our collaboration can certainly add to the options facing the world, as we have already seen in the case of the corona vaccine.
(with agency input)