EAM: Europe must look at developments in Asia
NEW DELHI:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday countered criticism of India’s position on Ukraine, saying the Western powers have been oblivious to the pressing challenges facing Asia including last year’s events in Afghanistan and the continuous pressure on the rules-based order in the region. In an interactive session at Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar said the crisis in Ukraine could be a “wake-up call” for Europe to also look at what has been happening in Asia, saying it has not been an “easy part” of the world for last 10 years. He added: “One impact of the war is energy prices but one sees in terms of food storage and food inflation. India can make difference by stepping in terms of exports of agricultural commodities, especially wheat.”
‘May react but on same page’
Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau expressed confidence that going forward India would be on the same page as the European nations on the Ukraine issue, noting that there can be different reactions for a certain period due to various reasons, including domestic politics.
Rau asserted India for Europeans is the “biggest democratic partner” in the world which means “we share the same values, principles and we stand for the same political judgments and political solutions”.
‘Russia an acute threat; China a competitor and challenge’
British Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said his country sees Russia as an acute threat but China as a competitor and a challenge. If the Ukraine-Russia war is to China’s advantage as the West is distracted from the China question, Radakin responded, “We have to be really careful about the conclusions in terms of China. This is a conflict with Russia. The
UK’s position is very different. In our integrated review, we declared Russia as an acute threat, and we made a clear distinction about the language in terms of China — as a competitor and a challenge.”
Norway to be member of International Solar Alliance
Norway has decided to become a member of the International Solar Alliance, an initiative of India to promote renewable energy and sustainable development. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt announced Norway’s membership of the International Solar Alliance during her visit to India.
Rajnath holds talks with UK's defence procurement minister
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with British Minister of Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin, focusing on bilateral cooperation in areas such as aviation and shipbuilding. “Had a wonderful meeting with the UK Minister of Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin. We discussed the opportunities in aviation, ship building and other defence industrial programmes,” Rajnath tweeted.
Meanwhile, Rajnath said every year 20-25 Indian Army men lose their lives, not in war or terrorist incident but in avalanches.