Jaishankar’s Strong Message to Europe: ‘India Seeks Partners, Not Preachers’

Jaishankar’s Strong Message to Europe: Last week, the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was rather uncomplimentary to Europe, saying that India seeks equal partners rather than 'preachers' - such as those that preach but do not practice at home.' According to him, some of the European countries still cling to this mindset.

While talking at the 'Arctic Circle India Forum' for instance on Sunday, the minister maintained that Europe should show some sensitivity and mutuality of interest for deeper ties with India.

Speaking in an interaction on the expectations India has of Europe, he said it has to move beyond preaching, living by selective moral standards and engaging with India on a pedestal, to a mode of dialogue grounded in mutuality.

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"When we look out at the world, we look for partners; we do not look for preachers, particularly preachers who do not practice at home and preach abroad. I think some of Europe is still struggling with that problem. Some of it has changed," the External Affairs Minister said, adding, Europe has "entered a certain zone of reality check".

"Now whether they are able to step up to it or not, it is something we will have to see," he said.

"But from our point of view, if we are to develop a partnership, there has to be some understanding, there has to be some sensitivity, there has to be a mutuality of interest and there has to be a realisation of how the world works. And I think these are all work in progress to differing degrees with different parts of Europe. So some have moved further, some a little bit less," Jaishankar said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also articulated India's continuing advocacy of 'Russia realism' and strongly remarked about an apparent 'fit' and 'complementarity' between India and Russia with one as a resource provider and the other as a consumer; he was critical of western attempts in the past to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict without Russia being engaged, saying those violated the very premises of realism.

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"Just like I am an advocate of Russian realism, I am also an advocate of American realism. I think the best way to engage today's America is also through finding mutuality of interests rather than putting ideological differences upfront and then allowing it to cloud the possibilities of working together," he said.

The comments come when, on one hand, experts and people on social media are calling out the EU for hypocrisy in its approach to tensions between India and Pakistan as opposed to its reaction on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, hence on the other hand.

While pertaining to the interaction, EAM Jaishankar also made comments regarding the India-Russia relations and said there is such an 'important fit and complimentary' relationship.

"Where Russia is concerned, we have always taken a view that there is a Russia realism that we have advocated. When passions were very high (in) 2022, 2023..if one looks back at that period, the kind of predictions and scenarios which were put forward have turned out not to be well founded," he said.

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