Ashish Ranjan
As Pakistan’s economy remains in a state of crisis, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated on Thursday that no nation can emerge from adversity “if its primary industry is terrorism.”
Thursday, Jaishankar spoke at the annual Asia Economic Dialogue organised by the external affairs ministry in Pune “This particular relationship (India-Pakistan) has a fundamental problem that we cannot and must not ignore. And that problem is terrorism, because as soon as you begin to circumvent that…”
“And we must not be in denial of the relationship’s very fundamental flaws. And just as a country must address its economic issues, it must also address its political issues. A nation must also address its social issues. No nation will ever emerge from adversity and become a prosperous power if its primary industry is terrorism “he added.
Notably, Pakistan’s economy is in disarray, and the country is currently holding virtual negotiations on the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) in order to reach an agreement at the staff level.
He also stated that it is in no one’s best interest for any nation, least of all a neighbouring nation, to experience severe economic problems. However, if a nation experiences severe economic difficulties, it must make policy decisions and governance decisions in order to recover.
“There is no doubt that Asia’s influence or importance will grow. Asia is expanding because Asia has been global; however, we should not fall for the rhetoric “Asia for Asians,” which is deceptive and appeals to primitive chauvinism. It genuinely demonstrates a profound strategic intent “Jaishankar stated during his press conference.
During the occasion, Jaishankar also discussed the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the global situation, and India’s G20 Presidency.
Jaishankar stated, “If I were to choose the three most important issues on my mind, one of them would be our neighbourhood, in part because the three of us live there.”
Jaishankar, Lyonpo Namgay Tshering, Finance Minister of Bhutan, and Ibrahim Ameer, Finance Minister of the Maldives, conversed during the Inaugural Session of the Dialogue.
The Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) is the Ministry’s premier annual geoeconomics event, co-hosted with Pune International Centre.
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The seventh edition of the AED will be conducted in Pune from February 23-25, 2023. “Asia and the Emerging Global Order” is the primary focus of the Dialogue. The Dialogue will also cover topics such as Global Growth Prospects, How the Global South Will Influence the G20 Agenda, the Metaverse: Understanding the Future, and Reaching Climate Targets: The Way Forward, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release.
