External Affairs Minister S Jaishank𝓀ar on Saturday said friendships are "not exclusive", particularly in a multi-polar world.
In his address, Jaishankar underlined that friends are not always black a🐓nd white, nor will friendship be l🀅inear in development.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishank𝓀ar on Saturday said friendships are "not exclusive", particularly in a multi-polar world.
In his address at a book laun🐷ch here, the minister also🥀 said India is today positioning itself as a "Vishwa Mitra" and "we seek to be friends with as many as possible".
This obviously generates goodwill and positivity towards India. It is reflected in the growing contribution the country makes to global good and in its closer engagement with the international community, the external affairs minister said, 🅰adding that in some ways, this is 🐈"diplomacy 101".
He said this at the launch of a book, titled "Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partnerꦉ", written by scholar Sreeram Chaulia.
In his address, Jaishankar underlined that fr𝓀iends are not always black and white, nor will friendship be linear in development.
Friends in the final analysis are "always wไork in progress", he added.
"In an imperfect, competitive and evolving global order, let us take these approx🍰imate judgement of friends and use it as a convenient yardstick for analysis," he said.
The minister also said "sometimes, friends have other friends who may not nec🌟essarily be ours" and they may, for example, reflect the dilemma of the old world order and the new.
"It is, therefore, essential that wℱe never confuse convergence for congruence," he said, without naming any country.
"Friಌendships are also not exclusive, particularly so in a multi-polar world," Jaishankar asserted.
He also cited India's relations with multiple countries -- bilateral as well as p⛦luril💖ateral.
The 🌼United States, Japan and Australia have benefitted from the Quad, and they are examples of "overcoming the ♊hesitations of history", Jaishankar said.
He described India's ties wi𓆏th Russia and France as "statements of multi-polarity, o✨urs as much as theirs".
Underlining the ethos o𝔍f a partnership, Jaishankar mentioned that there are cultural and historical factors at work as well, including the fact that "we are not a do✱gmatic civilisation".
"There is a capability aspect as well, which accounts for the self-confidence with wh🐟ich we approach the world," he said.
"Now because we are friendly, does this automatically mean that we have many friends? ꦡYet it is not to overstate, oversimplify and not to over-assume. Lifeꦓ is more complicated than that," he added.
The truth is that relationships develop when interests intersect or, at least, converge. Undoubtedly, sentiments and value do play a part, but not when divorced fromꦑ interests, the Union minister said.
Cultivating fꦛriendship for a large co🌱untry like India is never easy, he said, adding that the emotional factor comes from shared experiences and one can see that clearly in respect of the Global South.
"Our presence in the world order today also attra♈cts competition. As we move towards becoming a leading power, this will only grow. Even friendships will not be with𝓡out some hedging," Jaishankar said.
Also, some friends may be "more complicated" 🍸than others and may not always share the same culture of mutual respect or ethos of diplomatic etiqu𓃲ettes, Jaishankar said.
"We have, from time to time, seen comments on our domestic issues, accompanied by a pro⛦fessed desire to have an honest conversation. However, the same courtesy is rarely accorded to the other side. What is freedom for one can apparently become interference for the other," he argued.
"The fact is that sensitivities like sovereignty and territo🦄rial integrity will always be factors in evaluating partners," Jaishankar added.
Friends are about comfort and convergence, with an easy ability to work with each other. They are about mutual respect, understanding the compulsions of the parties and maximising the common ground, he sai๊d.