Taking on Pakistan, India today said the concept of state actors and non-state actors on the issue of terrorism is a “false dichotomy” and a state can not escape responsibility by hiding behind it. “We must give due credit to the efforts of successive governments on both sides who have ensured peace and tranquility on the border, even as negotiations on its settlement continue”, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar said while speaking at the East West Centre conference in New Delhi on Friday.
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Jaishankar, talking about Indo-china relations said that there has been a rapid rise of trade with China. There is a connection between state actors and non-state actors.
Delivering a keynote address on India’s Diplomatic Initiatives at an global media conference in New Delhi, Mr Jaishankar said, state and non-state actors is a false dichotomy and the state can not escape responsibility. Without naming Pakistan, the diplomat said the concept of “state and non-state actors is a false dichotomy” and added that a country “cannot escape responsibility” by calling a group a non-state actor. “Sanctioning of well-known terrorist leaders and organizations shouldn’t emerge as an issue of difference”. He said, “There is an expectation in India that China would be appreciative of India’s interests, especially when they aren’t in conflict with China”.
His remarks came as India upped the ante on the issue of “terror export” from Pakistan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising it at the BRICS meet and East Asia Summit, where he called on the global community to isolate and sanction “this” instigator. Joining India, US also raised its voice on the issue. “It would in a gross mistake to approach this relationship as a zero sum game”, he said replying to questions about how both countries can cooperate when they are rivals. I think we need to be patient and see where we go.
Referring to the relevance of ASEAN in the worldwide context, Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, “a more cohesive South Asia will command greater value, internationally”.
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“That the idea that “oh, this is India’s problem, we are ok”.
