Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival on an official visit to Singapore, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) said the time is ripe for the two countries to take their bilateral relationship to the next level.

“Given the transformation underway in India and the changes in the world, they need to become more contemporary. In many ways, that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen to visit Singapore so early in his third term,” The Straits Times quoted Mr. Jaishankar as saying in an interview.

He said that India and Singapore’s bilateral ties “have been extremely strong in the last two decades”.

Just like Singapore had an opportunity in 1992 and then again in 2006, it should seize the moment and fully utilise the new landscape, the Minister said.

“Sometimes, to be honest, I feel that impressions at your end are somewhat dated,” Mr. Jaishankar pointed out.

“In India, we are using the achievements of the last decade as the springboard to accelerate national growth and modernisation,” the Minister said.

Beyond the bilateral ties, there is also the issue of closer collaboration in a volatile and uncertain world. “In this regard, we must recognise that ours is a partnership based on a high degree of trust and understanding,” the Minister said.

“These characteristics enable us to share assessments and explore our convergences,” he added.

The Prime Minister has always had a special sentiment for Singapore and that leadership connect will matter more than ever before, underscored Mr. Jaishankar who has served as India’s High Commissioner to Singapore and has a very good understanding of the city-state.

Responding to a question as to where India would like to take the bilateral relationship, the Minister said, “We have come a long way since then. As I pointed out, the time is ripe to move to the next level of our ties, reflecting current realities in both countries, as well as the state of the world.” Where Singapore’s approach to India is concerned, it could start with the appreciation of the last decade of growth, recovery from Covid and the country’s rapid digitalisation, while also taking into account the advances in infrastructure, the focus on manufacturing and the availability of talent, the Minister said.

These issues were also discussed at the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable last week — a preparatory to PM Modi’s visit to the city-state.

“I would particularly single out those technologies promising for the future such as semiconductors, green technologies and electric mobility. We also need to collaboratively think about the future of connectivity and energy flows,” Mr. Jaishankar stressed.

The Minister also drew on the Covid experience to flag India’s relevance to food and health security, saying: “As regards the global scenario, we have built on the ‘Act East’ policy to now have a full-fledged Indo-Pacific commitment.” Mr. Jaishankar said there is a new equilibrium in the making and India will certainly play its part. “This is very much in the interest of Singapore and ASEAN.” “In an era where we will witness deficits in regard to global commons, our relationship can make a bigger difference,” he said.

The Minister also commented on a perception that India’s principal focus in its extended neighbourhood is now the Gulf, not ASEAN. “I would not take an ‘either-or’ approach. Certainly, in the last decade, India’s ties with Gulf nations have really taken off.” “Earlier governments used to view them more narrowly from the perspective of trade, energy and diaspora. In contrast, the Modi government’s policies have extended to investments, technology, security and connectivity,” he pointed out.

“We definitely feel that the contributions of our community are more strongly recognised [in the Gulf]. Both the economic and demographic complementarities are today coming into much greater play.

“But because of this, I would not draw any conclusions in regard to Asean. In fact, our ties have deepened as well in this very period.” Mr. Jaishankar underscored the fact that India — the most populous country and currently the fifth-largest economy — will necessarily have multi-directional engagements. “The world is not a zero-sum game for us.” The Minister also elaborated on Singapore being once the springboard of India’s ‘Look East’ policy.

“Obviously, Singapore, which was at the core of our ‘Look East’ policy, has an equally central role in the ‘Act East’ policy as well. If you look at the new domains that reflect this evolution, Singapore’s partnership in security, connectivity, technology and sustainability is evident.” The ‘Act East’ policy is certainly very active for a variety of reasons, he stressed, adding that Southeast Asia itself has much-untapped potential and its demographics and growth prospects make it a long-term partner.

“Imagine for example what a change the Trilateral Highway [plan to connect India with Myanmar and Thailand] can make when completed,” he pointed out.

“It is also a relationship which is indispensable for India’s Indo-Pacific engagement. I would confidently predict a bright future.

PM Modi will travel to Singapore on Wednesday (September 4, 2024).

He said he looked forward to meeting President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in Singapore.

PM Modi will also meet leaders of Singapore’s business community.

President of Maldivian Democratic Party Abdulla Shahid. File
| Photo Credit: AP

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has welcomed President Mohammad Muizzu-led government’s “sudden recalibration” of its India policy and said Male has always been confident that India will always be the first responder any time the Maldives “dials an international 911″.

Abdulla Shahid, president of the main Opposition party, the MDP, made the remarks after he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Male on Saturday (August 10, 2024).

The MDP president said that his party “calls on the Muizzu government to issue a public apology for the actions, lies and irresponsible comments from its officials which have resulted in significant damage to the Maldives’ foreign and economic outlook”. Mr. Jaishankar is on a three-day official visit to the Maldives to reset the bilateral relationship, the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation’s pro-China President Muizzu assumed office last year.

“Great pleasure to warmly welcome and meet Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar to the Maldives with my colleagues from @MDPSecretariat,” Mr. Shahid, the former foreign minister, said in a statement posted on X late Saturday (August 10, 2024) night.

“The Maldives has always been confident that India will always be the first responder any time the Maldives ‘dials an international 911’,” he said.

He said the “current government’s initial stoking of anti-India sentiments through aggressive slogans, mockery and the branding of a time-tested friend and development partner as a regional bully, has caused a decline in the Maldives’ international standing, economic loss, and many other unnecessary difficulties, and challenges.” “With this in mind, the MDP welcomes the sudden recalibration of the Maldives-India policy of President Muizzu’s government, from its previous India Out policy,” Mr. Shahid said.

India’s relationship with the Maldives has come under severe strain since Mr. Muizzu took charge as the President late last year.

Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms gifted by India to the Maldives. After talks between the two countries, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians.

On Saturday (August 10, 2024), Mr. Muizzu described India as “one of the closest allies” and reaffirmed his administration’s full commitment to strengthening the historic and close connections between the two countries.

“The MDP hopes that this shift will not be temporary or superficial, but consistent and meaningful in the best interests of the people of the Maldives,” Mr. Shahid said.

In a separate statement, the MDP welcomed Mr. Jaishankar’s visit to the Maldives.

“The Maldives-India relationship has always been based on the principles of mutual respect, respect for international law, territorial integrity, a common desire for regional security, and an open and peaceful Indian Ocean,” it said.

The MDP thanked India for its steadfast support of the people of the Maldives.

“The MDP welcomes the exchange of notes during this visit, to train a further 1000 civil service officers – a key human resource programme initiated during (former) President (Ibrahim Mohamed) Solih’s government.”

“The MDP also welcomes the signing of the MoU between the Ministry of Economic Development and the National Payments Corporation of India [NPCI], on enhancing and expanding digital and integrated payment systems – another MoU that was discussed and finalised during President Solih’s administration,” it said.

“The MDP welcomes with gratitude to India, the inauguration and handover of six High Impact Community Development Projects, implemented with grant assistance from the Government of India, and signed and implemented during President Solih’s administration,” the statement said.

It said the High Impact Community Development Project scheme is a highly successful and beneficial grant assistance scheme initialised in 2019.

“The Party further welcomes the handover of water and sewerage projects in 28 islands financed through the EXIM Bank of India,” the statement said.

It said these projects were undertaken through the ₹800 million Line of Credit extended by the Government of India, during the first state visit of former President Mr. Solih to India, in December 2018, and inaugurated during his administration.

The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and the overall bilateral ties, including in the areas of defence and security, witnessed an upward trajectory under the previous government led by Mr. Solih.

The week gone by has been a busy period for India in the Indo-Pacific. India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, attended the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Laos and the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Japan. Jaishankar’s visit to Laos also featured a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, following their last meeting at Astana earlier this year. The context for Jaishankar’s visit was set by India’s enduring pushback against China in key arenas of its interest. Arguably, China remains the pre-eminent concern for India’s national security planners. India’s China challenge is multipronged, with unresolved border conflict along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as well as Beijing’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean. China’s more recent overtures in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea region, have also compelled India’s Quad partners and several Southeast Asian countries to intensify measures to counterbalance Beijing. Thus, the China question was a natural focal point for Jaishankar during both Laos and Japan visits.

China, A Critical Cog In The Quad

At the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting, the four member countries of the grouping released a joint statement which amply addressed their common concerns with regard to China’s belligerent posturing in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad members have long resisted the notion that the formulation of the grouping is directed at countering Beijing, instead emphasising that it seeks to harness the emerging opportunities of collective cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. There is no denying, however, that the China factor is a critical cog in the Quad wheel. The latest joint statement released by the Quad countries evidently suggests that concerns regarding China’s overtures in the Indo-Pacific appear to be taking centre-stage in the thinking of the grouping. The joint statement expressed concerns over the evolving situation in the East and South China Seas, alluding to China’s unilateral actions by use of force and coercion. The statement decried, without naming, Beijing’s use of coast guard and maritime militia in the South China Sea attributing it to ‘dangerous manoeuvres’ in the region. 

Jaishankar’s individual remarks about the state of India-China relations have further garnered attention. Upon being questioned about India’s relations with China, Jaishankar unequivocally stated that the bilateral ties between the two neighbours are ‘not doing very well’. This admission appears to present continuity in India’s enduring pushback against China in light of border skirmishes and conflict since 2020. However, in the Indo-Pacific context, a shift appears to be underway in India’s approach towards China. In the past, India’s response to China’s aggressive overtures in the Indo-Pacific had remained relatively subdued. In its stead, Jaishankar’s recent comments at the Quad summit and the joint statement demonstrate India’s willingness to push back against China in the Indo-Pacific context as well. 

An Eye On Distant Seas

The question arises, what explains India’s pushback against China’s unilateral actions in the South China Sea? Even though the South China Sea geography does not fall under India’s primary maritime area of interest, it remains vital for India’s myriad strategic interests, such as the protection of Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs), energy security, etc. Moreover, India’s sustained advocacy for a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order at sea, emphasising the need for adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), makes it imperative for New Delhi to respond critically against Chinese attempts to change the status quo in the region.

Within the wider Indo-Pacific, China’s continued attempts to foray into the Indian Ocean region, more recently by way of sending survey and surveillance vessels into the region, have prompted an enduring security dilemma in New Delhi, of People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) imminent launch of carrier task force patrols in the Indian Ocean by 2025. Thus, upping the ante against China in the Indo-Pacific appears to be a logical progression in India’s continued efforts to counter Beijing’s advances in geographies of India’s core interests at sea. 

India’s Message

Notably, Jaishankar has displayed nuance and complex thinking in India’s plans to counter the multipronged challenge that China poses. While on the Indo-Pacific front, India has sought to actively engage in minilateral groupings to counter China, upon being asked if New Delhi would encourage third-party intervention for the resolution of the India-China territorial border conflict along the LAC, Jaishankar reiterated that only bilateral engagement based on ‘mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity’ can restore normalcy.

The message is very clear: New Delhi will not relent in pressing ahead with its pushback against Beijing even as the door is open for China to recalibrate its anti-India positioning.

(Harsh V Pant is Vice President for Studies at ORF. Sayantan Haldar works with the Maritime Initiative at ORF)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will begin a eight-day visit to India on November 3, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the visit would provide an opportunity to both sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and further advance the “exemplary” partnership.

The King of Bhutan will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is expected to deliberate on various aspects of close India-Bhutan ties.

“External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and senior officials of the government will call on the King of Bhutan,” the MEA said on November 2.

“The King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan, will be on an official visit to India from November 3 to 10,” it said in a statement. The King will also visit the States of Assam and Maharashtra.

“India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterised by understanding and mutual trust,” the MEA said.

“The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the exemplary bilateral partnership, across diverse sectors,” it said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks at the opening session of 23rd IORA Council of Ministers as India assumes role of Vice Chair, in Colombo, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India on October 11 said a multilateral rules-based international order, along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community, in a veiled attack on China which is flexing its muscles in the region.

Speaking at the 23rd Council of Ministers Meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) in Colombo, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also said that it is important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas.

“We will continue our approach of contributing to build capacity and secure safety and security in the Indian Ocean region including as first responder and a net security provider,” Mr. Jaishankar said as India assumed the Vice-Chair role of IORA for 2023-25 at the crucial meeting.

“A multilateral rules-based international order, along with sincere respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity remains the foundation for reviving the Indian Ocean as a strong community,” he said.

Explained | China’s moves in the Indian Ocean

He said that in the resurgence of Asia, and global rebalancing, the Indian Ocean holds a central position, playing a crucial role in the development and prosperity of the littoral nations, by supporting trade and sustaining livelihoods, offering immense possibilities of connectivity and resource utilisation.

“It is the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘the world is one family’ which can be a binding force to bring the IORA Member States together,” he said.

Mr. Jaishankar said that as the vice chair and a member of the Troika, India’s priorities are clear. “It is our effort to develop an Indian Ocean community that is stable and prosperous, strong and resilient, and which is able to cooperate closely within and to respond to happenings beyond the ocean,” he said.

“It is thus important to maintain the Indian Ocean as a free, open and inclusive space based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), as the Constitution of the Seas,” he said, adding that the spirit of 1971 that the Sri Lankan colleague referred to, should continue to guide our outlook, discouraging any hidden agendas to the contrary.

China has been flexing its muscles in the strategically vital region and is also engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea (SCS) and the East China Sea (ECS).

Also Read | India to share maritime info on vessels of interest with stakeholders

Mr. Jaishankar said that developmental issues, lack of robust connectivity, the burden of opaque and unsustainable debt generated by unviable projects, threats to social fabric posed by extremism and fundamentalism, dangers emanating from terrorism, natural disasters and climate change, all these are the challenges that we face.

“As the Vice-Chair for the next two years, India, the “vishwa mitra” or the world’s friend, a voice of the Global South, will work with IORA Member States to strengthen the institutional, financial and legal framework of IORA, towards realising the true potential of this dynamic grouping,” he said.

He said India’s specific focus will be in the areas of Maritime Safety & Security and Blue Economy as a coordinating country. India will also contribute to other priority and cross-cutting areas of IORA, as and when required, he added.

Mr. Jaishankar is among the 16 ministers attending the meeting which will also include the Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Iran, Mauritius, Malaysia and South Africa.

New Delhi:

The absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence will not cast a shadow on the G20 Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. 

The minister said there have been presidents or prime ministers who, for some reason, have chosen not to come for global meetings and that country’s position is reflected by the representative present on the occasion.

In an exclusive interview with ANI ahead of the G20 Summit in Delhi on September 9 and 10, Mr Jaishankar said India has a responsibility of the G20 Presidency in a difficult world that is facing the impacts of Covid-19, Ukraine conflict, climate change, debt, north-south divide and sharper east-west polarisation, and the effort is to find common ground.

Mr Jaishankar said India has a reputation of being a very constructive player and has a lot of goodwill and noted that everybody is coming with a great deal of seriousness.  

“I think at different points of time in G20 there have been some presidents or prime ministers who for whatever reason, have chosen not to come themselves but that country, and that country’s position is obviously reflected by whoever is the representative on that occasion. So, you had some occasions where you had a president or two, sometimes three, who have not themselves come,” the minister said. 

My sense from talking to the ministers, certainly, and I know the Sherpas are in touch with each other, they are right now trying to hammer out the final document. I think everybody is coming with a great deal of seriousness,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar was asked if President Putin and President Xi not being present will cast a shadow on the New Delhi G20 Summit being held on September 9 and 10. 

“I do not think it has anything to do with India. I. I think whatever decision they make, they would know best,” Mr Jaishankar said in response to another query.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Premier Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi. It gave no reason for Xi Jinping’s absence from the summit.

President Putin, in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month, had conveyed his inability to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi and informed that Russia would be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Asked about any impact on the outcome of the summit, Mr Jaishankar said that the issues being taken up are not new.  

“I would put it this way, the issues are there. These are not issues that are this morning being taken up, I mean there is a whole gestation period of eight-nine months, where at different levels ministers or officials have tried to progress an issue. So, this is like a culmination. These are really about 16-18 processes which are all coming together to be stitched up together to produce a summit,” he said.  

“Well, we are negotiating right now. As I said the negotiation is not…the clock did not start ticking yesterday, the clock has been ticking for some time, so typically what happens is there is a ministerial meeting. Then a ministerial meeting produces outcomes,” he added.

Asked about consensus building and what will India see as a win-win situation, Mr Jaishankar said it is just not a matter of India seeing something.

“Today the expectations of the world are very high in terms of what the G20 is able to produce and produce in terms of meeting the challenges of the world. So, if you were to go to Africa, go to Latin America, go to parts of Asia, go to the Caribbean, and go to the Pacific, everybody is today saying, okay I have a certain set of issues. I have a debt problem, I have a trade problem, I have a health access problem, I have a green development resourcing problem. So, what will the G20 do for me? So, the world is waiting,” he said.

He said there are a lot of issues for G20 and one of the important messages is to focus on the Global South.

“You are going to get really a mix of issues that the world is looking at and a lot of this, the burden is on the Global South, on developing countries. So, one very important message for us is focus on the Global South. But there is a larger context. The context is of a very turbulent global environment, the impact of Covid, impact of the Ukraine conflict, issues like debt which have carried on for some time and by the way climate disruptions which are today affecting the economy as well,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

India has nothing against talking, but it should, and has, led by example in its efforts to combat climate change, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, the minister was asked about global “talk shops” and western countries lecturing India without knowing how the country is taking various steps, like being on the path to becoming the number one nation in the use of solar power.

Mr Jaishankar said he agreed that there is, sometimes, too much talk in talk shops and people who lecture others don’t practice what they preach. He said, however, that he is not against talking because debate and discussions are the way to take things forward. 

“But what we should do is through our actions and through our example… when India increases the use of renewables, when we demonstrate how big a change can happen through the use of LED bulbs, we are also talking seriously about electric mobility… so we also have to show the world through our actions,” the minister said.

“We have to debate in debating forums, we should not leave the battlefield there. In Paris, it was decided that there would be an annual commitment of 100 billion dollars. That hasn’t happened, but we have to keep repeating it to make people feel ashamed. They have to be told this was their promise and they didn’t fulfil it. So, we are here, we are not alone, we have 125 countries with us, whom we call the voice of the global south,” he added.

Mr Jaishankar said India is a developing country and, because it is a member of the G20, being the voice of the global south is its responsibility. He asserted that this is not a responsibility that India has assigned to itself, but it has consulted 125 countries. He said no other G20 chair went through the exercise of talking to 125 countries and asking them what their worries are because they are not on the table.

“So putting issues forward on their behalf is very central. And particularly when it comes to climate, because the climate situation is getting worse. We are seeing it in our country, our neighbourhood, across the world. This is not a different department. We have to remember this is a globalised world. Today, climate emergencies, climate disasters, because they are happening more regularly, more strongly, they have become a major economic disruptor,” he said.

One of the problems with the way globalisation is today, Mr Jaishankar said, is that things are produced in different places and if supply chains are interrupted because of climate factors, the whole economy can be jeopardised by climate events.