India cannot overlook terrorism in a bid to mend ties with Pakistan: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar took a dig at Pakistan and China while delivering a lecture on his book 'Why Bharat Matters' at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS). He took potshots at China for raking up the Arunachal Pradesh issue yet again after the Chinese military called the Indian state an inherent part of China's territory.

New Delhi:External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar on Saturday slammed Pakistan and China. He lambasted China for their claims over Arunachal Pradesh being their territory while noting that India cannot overlook terrorism in an attempt to mend ties with Pakistan. "China's claims on Arunachal Pradesh are ludicrous to begin with and remain ludicrous today as it is a natural part of India," Jaishankar said while addressing an event in Singapore.

He made the statement during a Q&A round held after he delivered a lecture on his book 'Why Bharat Matters' at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS). He is currently in Singapore on a three-day visit. His comments came days after China raked up the Arunachal Pradesh issue once again after the Chinese military called the Indian state an inherent part of China's territory.

The External Affairs Ministry later dismissed the claims as absurd while calling Arunachal Pradesh an inalienable part of India. On Pakistan, Jaishankar pointed out that the country is now sponsoring terrorism at almost an industry level, and India's mood currently is not to overlook terrorists.

"It's not a one-off happening...but very sustained, almost at an industry level...so what we have come to conclude is that we have to find a way of addressing (the menace), that dodging the problem gets us nowhere, it only invites more trouble," he said in Singapore. The External Affairs Minister in response to a question on India's relationship with Pakistan, said, "Every country wants a stable neighborhood...if nothing else, you want at least a quiet neighborhood".

Jaishankar noted that, however, difficult a problem is, the other country should not be given a free pass. The EAM will then visit the Philippines from March 25-37, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Saturday. As part of his three-country Southeast Asia tour, he is also scheduled to visit Malaysia.

Jaishankar first visited the Philippines in February 2022. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Jaishankar is set to meet with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo to discuss the advancement of trade and tourism between the two countries. Their meeting will also focus on defence and maritime cooperation, food security, development, healthcare and financial technology cooperation,” it said in a statement.

His visit to the Philippines assumes significance as tensions are often seen between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Recently, a Chinese Coast Guard ship hit a Philippines supply boat. According to sources, India has supported the Philippines in territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is visiting the ASEAN nations Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia from March 23 to 27 at the invitation of his counterparts. His visit is aimed at bolstering ties with the ASEAN nations in the changing global dynamics. The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries and will provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern, the MEA said.