New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that Russia is turning more to Asia and parts of the world that are not West and it makes sense to give Moscow multiple options.
"Essentially a lot of doors have been shut to Russia and the West and we know the reasons why. Moscow is turning more to Asia and to parts of the world that are not West. It makes sense to give Russia multiple options. If we railroad Russia into a single option, then you are making it a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Today, it is important for other countries in Asia to engage Russia," Jaishankar said while speaking on the third and the final day of the 9th edition of the Raisina Dialogue here.
Speaking about Russia-China relations, Jaishankar said, "On the one hand there were people who set up policies to bring the two nations together and then they say beware of the two coming together. It is certainly in Indian national interest but it is also in Global interest. A lot of doors have been shut to Russia and the West."
Russia, the Union External Affairs Minister noted is a power with an enormous tradition of statecraft. "Such power will never put them into a single relationship of an overwhelming nature".
The Minister's remarks come days he reaffirmed India's "stable and friendly ties" with Russia and said Moscow has never hurt the interests of New Delhi. The India-Russia ties have been under surveillance since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Despite sanctions on Russia by the West and Europe, India continues to purchase oil from Russia, at sizeable discounts. Meanwhile, in response to a question on whether India and China finally find a balance in their relationship, the External Affairs Minister reiterated, "Both India and China are rising at a different pace with different starting times".
"The Chinese started early and much more intensely and robustly than we did but it's like things that at some stage, there will be a period where they will be flattening out and we will be growing," he said.
"I am not in denial of what numbers today suggest but if one looks at Goldman Sachs predictions, we both will be, by about 2075 and up, a $50 trillion economy and, and will be too close to each other," he added.
Pointing out the border issue between the two countries, Jaishankar said, “There will be occasions where one or the other will do something to press home a particular advantage and the other will resist."
"Here's the immediate issue – from the late 80s, we had an understanding on the border, precisely because it suited both of us. There was a departure on their side after 30 years in terms of how they behaved on the border and there was a pushback from our side," he added.
He noted that the mind games that will be played would be "just between the two of us and other 190 odd countries in the world don't exist in our relationship." "That would be the mind game that would be played," Jaishankar elaborated.
"I don't think we should play it. If other factors in the world can be harnessed by me to get better terms on an equilibrium, why should I forgo that right?," he asked.
