Speaking at the India International Centre, he acknowledged the difficulties facing India-China relations and said that the abnormal situation along the border continues to play a significant role in determining the nature of the relationship as a whole.

Speaking at the India International Centre, Jaishankar noted that China had proven to be challenging on the international stage. And I would add that it is a subject on which I have already talked and spoken in public. At the end of the day, we understand that it is a big neighbour and a neighbour nonetheless. It has a huge economy and tremendous power today. However, any relationship must ultimately be built on a high level of mutuality.

“There must be awareness to each other’s interests, respect for each other’s interests, and adherence to the agreements we have achieved. And the difficult phase we are going through with China right now is largely due to that deviation from what we had previously agreed upon. The relationship’s state will ultimately depend on the condition of the border, to put it simply. Additionally, the border’s current situation continues to be abnormal, said Jaishankar.

Jaishankar claimed relations with the US have been “exceptionally good” and drew a clear distinction between India’s ties with China and those with the former. Jaishankar cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most recent state visit to the US as evidence that it was his most successful trip as the head of state of India.

“The world is tremendously polarised today, and it’s much harder to succeed on the international stage… Our ties to the United States are really strong. The most successful visit in history, he declared.

“We have entered a constructive phase with the US in terms of reshaping the globe for shared goals. The interest being shown in Europe is astounding. The conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement is the major issue at hand. We have greater optimism than ever before,” EAM continued.

Jaishankar praised India’s relationship with Russia as being excellent and said it would be “mistake” to downplay its significance.

“Despite all the turmoil, our relations with Russia have remained stable. Over the years, we have determined the significance of this on our own. Dumbing down relations with Russia to only defence reliances is a mistake. The economic aspect of our relations with Russia is improving, he remarked.