Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is increasingly operating in a global environment where countries are openly engaging with multiple partners, signalling the end of what he described as the “pretence” that New Delhi should limit its strategic options and focus primarily on its relationship with Washington.
Speaking at an Asia Society event in New York on Monday, Jaishankar said there was once a view in the United States that India should not have too many options and should concentrate on its ties with Washington, even as the US itself maintained multiple options.
“There was a time in America when there was a view that we don't like India to have too many options. We want you to focus on your relationship with us, even as the US has kept its options open,” Jaishankar said.
He added, “Today, that pretence is over. Everybody is openly working with everybody.”
Jaishankar highlights shift towards a multipolar world
Jaishankar said the change reflects a broader transformation in international relations, with the world moving towards a more multipolar order.
He said countries are now engaging with one another more openly and maintaining partnerships across multiple regions and areas of interest, rather than being restricted to a single strategic alignment.
External Affairs Minister also drew a comparison between India and the US, saying Washington has built and managed a diverse network of international partnerships — an approach that India has followed for a long time.
Jaishankar made the remarks during a discussion organised by the Asia Society in New York. Former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel also participated in the event.
