'West didn't supply weapons to India but to Pakistan dictators': Foreign minister S. Jaishankar

thanks very much for for joining us as you know uh the external affairs minister of India my friend Dr joshanka and I have just met and had an excellent discussion uh as always he has great insights about the region and the world and we had a wide-ranging discussion on our many areas of mutual interest and cooperation cooperation I'll invite Dr Joe Shankar to offer his Reflections in a moment before we open questions I want to make a few comments at the outset if I may the first is obviously Australia and India are comprehensive strategic Partners we are quad Partners we partner in many other ways and most fundamentally we share a region the indo-pacific region and between our countries we span a great breadth of the indo-pacific with our own areas of deep connection and expertise we've got a shared interest and we share an ambition and that is our region being stable prosperous and respectful of sovereignty where countries are not required to choose sides but make their own Sovereign choices we don't want to see anyone country dominating or any country being dominated we both recognize our region as being reshaped economically and strategically and I think our partnership is a demonstration that we understand that this period of change is best navigated together I make this point for the Australian government's perspective we can only build and sustain the region we want by working with others including by working in partnership with India and for Australia this partnership is a critical part of shaping the region we want uh we agree that uh we we have to continue to deepen our relationship and I'm pleased to flag with you that Dr Josh uncle and I have agreed that we will keep working to expand our relationship with relationship including our diplomatic footprint in each other's countries we're looking forward to opening a Consul general for Australia in Bengaluru in the heart of us in India's technology industry uh sometime next year and we look forward to Dr joshanke being able to finalize an additional presence here in Australia so with those opening words I would throw to to my friend Jay who I think we've met I think nearly seven times or something like that since uh since the change of government so it was really great to meet with you today and over to you thank you very much uh and uh let me uh Begin by first of all thanking you really for uh for a very nice welcome because uh when I came into Canberra yesterday I saw the old Parliament building lit up in our national colors and you know there's nothing can be more touching than a gesture like that and it wasn't uh it wasn't a one-off because as we celebrated our 75th anniversary of Independence in fact we saw that in Australia across the country a different iconic sites you celebrated along with us and I was particularly struck by the image of the Sydney Opera House in our tri-color so so I think it was a good gesture which spoke of a very warm sentiment and I appreciate that so as Minister Wong said we've had really a very very useful very productive uh very comfortable discussion today and part of it is uh really the fact that we've been meeting quite often I mean I I think I met you literally on your first day on the job in Tokyo for the quad but since then it's been Bali G20 it's been the Phnom Penh East Asia foreign Minister's meeting we saw each other in New York both bilaterally and for trilateral meetings as well uh so uh so we've had this now practice of continuing conversations and good exchanges as we uh as we really work to strengthen our bilateral relations and see how we can shape a better region so today's meeting was uh what we call the foreign Minister's framework dialogue it's I think the 13th of that series uh and uh you know we spoke about a whole lot of issues trade and economy education defense and security clean energy and uh among among the many agreements and understandings we reached but really the fact that we would it's in our mutual interest to expand our diplomatic footprint in each other's countries so we would certainly welcome Australia doing so in India and look forward to doing the same in Australia at some point of time there were some issues I think which we see a great potential in terms of giving a greater I would say quality to our bilateral partnership one of them is a proposal that's been under discussion for an understanding on Mobility on mobility of talent and skills how we can grow education and what we could do particularly bearing in mind India's New National Education policy uh we certainly would like to see Australia which is one of our major Partners in education also having a stronger presence in India and that's something which our Prime Ministers had discussed as well when they had met in Tokyo uh we are very encouraged to see that the economic cooperation and trade agreement that was finalized earlier this year is moving towards its ratification and entry into Force that's a very good development we also note that steps are being taken to amend the double taxation avoidance agreement because that was also a bit of a challenge to Growing our business but in addition to and and then we really looked at areas like critical minerals cyber new and renewable energy and looked at innocence integrating a lot of what our colleagues have been doing over the last few months and when I we did that it was I think very revealing that in fact since June this year six of my cabinet colleagues have actually visited Australia among them the minister for coal and mines for renewable energy for uh for education for our Water Resources our home minister and we've also seen that the Australian Deputy pm and defense minister as well as the deputy premier of Western Australia and the premier of New South Wales have been to India with business delegations so overall the sense has really been that you know the relationship has kept growing uh we're you know looking at finding ways of sort of taking it to higher levels when it comes to the global situation we we had a good discussion we haven't completed it I think there's still some bits we're going to be doing at lunch but we did discuss Ukraine the Ukraine conflict and its repercussions indo-pacific of what you know the progression quad G20 issues or trilaterals the UN some things in the ie the climate Finance sustainable development goals so you can see it's been a pretty pretty sort of broad-ranging discussions uh in and and you know the I think the underpinning of that really is that as liberal democracies uh we both believe uh in a rules-based international order in Freedom of navigation in international waters in promoting connectivity growth and security for all and as Minister Wong said in ensuring that countries make Sovereign choices on matters that are important to them uh over lunch I expect that we will be taking up a few other issues I would like to share with her our perspectives on the on the uh Indian subcontinent particularly uh I would like to discuss some issues on terrorism and countering terrorism I'll look forward to hearing on this region from her and uh I I think would just conclude by saying that we will be taking over the chairmanship of the G20 at the end of this year and as a member of G20 I think for us Australia's views and interests are very important I hope to cover that more intensively in the coming months uh and let me let me finally say once again really thank you for for having me over for the hospitality for the warmth of your reception ministers Daniel first from the guardian uh Dr Joe Shanker you mentioned Ukraine there'll be a U.N General Assembly debate this week about emotion uh not recognizing the Russian annexation of territories in Ukraine and also calling for de-escalation is the government of India in a position to support that resolution of the UN or are you inclined to abstain and Minister Wong are you encouraging India to take a particular position from this vote yeah uh well uh you know as a matter of prudence and policy we don't predict our votes in advance having said that you also know that we have been very clearly uh against the conflict in Ukraine we believe that this conflict does not serve the interests of anybody neither the participants nor indeed of the International Community and as a country of the global South we have been uh saying firsthand how much it has impacted low-income countries the challenges that they are facing in terms of fuel and food and fertilizers so so we you know my prime minister uh said a few weeks ago at summer contact this is not an era of war and you know a conflict today in some corner of the world can have a very profound impact on on everybody across the world and I think that continues to guide our thinking oh well I'll reiterate again Australia's condemnation of Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine and reiterate The View that we've expressed publicly that the annexations so-called chairman annexations or sham referenda and the annexations are illegal and the we remain of the view that Russia's invasion is is illegal in in relation to India I would indicate again that we welcomed prime minister modi's Prime Minister Modi raising his concerns with Mr Putin in September I think it was and we you know as as he as Mr Prime Minister Modi has told Mr Putin this is not the time for war is India I should say is India um rethinking its relationship with Russia uh given what is going on in Ukraine and how are you viewing the performance of um uh Russian weapon systems over there and does that give you um a cause to think that um reduce its Reliance on those weapon systems um and if I could ask Senator Wong Senator Wong is is in his relationship with Russia holding back the quad in any way considering you know the quad is talking about the rules-based order in the indo-pacific is there some inconsistency relation to Russia look I I think the quad is functioning extremely well I think that the level of strategic Trust and a strategic consistency amongst Cod part quad Partners is is deep and firm and as I said uh you know I I note prime minister modi's public comments and we've worked on them uh on the quad the quad is a is a mechanism which is permanently focused on the indo-pacific and I think that's an area where the convergence of interest between the quad Partners is particularly strong with regard to India and Russia we have really a long-standing relationship with Russia a relationship that has certainly served our interests well and uh when when you asked about the military equipment issue we have as you know a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian origin weapons and that inventory actually grew for a variety of reasons you know the merits of the weapon systems themselves but also because for a for multiple decades Western countries did not supply Supply weapons to India and in fact saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner so I think we all in international politics deal with what we have we make judgments judgments which are reflective of both our future interests as well as our current situation and my sense is in terms of this current conflict like every military conflict there are learnings from it and I'm sure my very professional colleagues in the military would be studying it very carefully how does India's defense dependence on Russia affecting Australia's relationship with New Delhi and have you raised it with your counterpart today has just been covered to be honest with you Indiana Community Living uh Indian link media group from Sydney Minister jayashankar there seems to be a diplomatic War bringing between Canada and India on 23rd September India issued a travel warning for its citizens warning them about traveling to Canada citing a sharp increase in incidents of hate crime sectarian violence and anti-india activities in Canada Canada in turn has issued similar warnings of traveling to India for safety reasons the Indian Travel warnings seemed to follow Palestine referendum voting in Brampton on 18 September welcome to the question the question is how concerned are you about these kind of activities spreading internationally as the community grows especially in Australia now look uh I want to be very clear here when we issue travel advisories we issue travel advisories as a travel mission for the security and safety of our citizens so I would urge you not to read something into a travel advisory which is beyond the advisory what some other country does presumably reflects their thinking and their policies as to the the kalistani issue that you have raised you know from time to time we have engaged the Canadian government I have myself engaged my counterpart on this issue and we have flagged the need to ensure that freedoms in a Democratic Society are not misused by forces which actually Advocate violence and and bigotry so it's important I think for countries to understand uh today really how democracy should function not only at home but also the responsibilities the democracies have to other democracies abroad one last question but before I before I throw to David Crow I'm just going to make this point about the just from Australia's perspective relevant to the question you ask that the Indian diaspora is a valued and important contributor to our vibrant and resilient Multicultural Society thank you Minister a question on Naval matters that are closer to home August and also the operations of the Chinese Navy there has been some comment recently from China about Naval operations in the Indian Ocean I wonder whether there are any concerns in India about that and related to this Australia obviously has the August plan for nuclear-powered submarines does India see that as being in any way a problem at the iaea or is it something that India sees as helping for the stability of the region and I'd be interested in set it along in your comments on this also in terms of uh uh what position you would see from India on Focus first question about the Indian Ocean and the naval presence of countries and Indian Ocean I think it's important to appreciate that enable presence that strengthens uh you know Safety and Security and contributes to prosperity and progress in a region by by definition is is a is an asset to the to the to the Strategic scenario of that region ah now uh where we are concerned when I look at my own Navy other than securing our National Security we have over uh some years now developed a reputation rightly of being a first responder we have been available when natural disasters strike when covet problems happened when different countries got into difficulties of of various kinds so I think a lot of it is really what is the intent what is the messaging what are the behavioral characteristics how transparent you have been I think these are all factors when any country assesses the presence of any other countries Naval forces on the office on the orcas you look the issue did come up for debate a digital conference and I think the iaea director General who's a very very seasoned and well very respected professional in that particular domain is someone I know myself having worked in that field for many years as very well I think he gave a very objective assessment of what the issue was all about and I think we respected that and we urged other members to do so as well on August very briefly as you know Australia is seeking to replace a necessary capability Australia has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons we remain an in compliant with the npt we have an impeccable record when it comes to compliance for their npt and we are working through and will work through with the iaea to ensure that that record stands with full transparency and that was our the what we indicated very clearly to the conference thank you very much thank you

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Keywords: ThePrint, shekhar gupta, theprint india, theprint hindi, S. Jaishankar, Foreign minister S. Jaishankar, Australia Finance Minister Penny Wong

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Length: 22min 1sec (1321 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 10 2022