NEW YORK:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has delivered a candid critique of Washington’s foreign policy blind spots, stating that an insufficient understanding of India’s core security threats—specifically cross-border terrorism—is directly straining bilateral relations.
Speaking at a high-profile event hosted by the Asia Society in New York, Jaishankar placed security concerns right alongside ongoing trade friction as major variables affecting the upward trajectory of India-US ties.
"Perhaps there are very few countries which have been subjected to the kind of terrorism that we have from a neighbour as part of a deliberate, conscious policy over many, many decades," Jaishankar remarked.
Emphasizing that national security remains paramount for New Delhi, the External Affairs Minister noted that a partner nation's failure to recognize or empathize with vital security issues inevitably takes a toll on diplomatic engagement.
"If something which matters so deeply to us, there isn’t enough understanding or appreciation or empathy of that, I think that creates a problem too," Jaishankar stated.
His remarks arrive amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, including closer US-Pakistan engagement under the Trump administration, which has historically steered clear of holding Islamabad accountable to the degree previous American administrations did.
Despite acknowledging these hurdles, Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to fostering a progressive partnership with the United States.
"We would certainly hope for and expect the relationship to move on an upward trajectory," he noted.
The high-level remarks echo Jaishankar's recent address at the United Nations General Assembly, where he aggressively spotlighted global terrorism as an existential threat and reaffirmed India’s absolute right to defend its sovereignty against cross-border aggressors.
