BJP leader S Jaishankar on Tuesday took charge as the external affairs minister of India, two days after he was sworn in as the Cabinet minister at a grand ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan compound. In an interview today, the politician laid out his ministry's roadmap regarding India's quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and its relations with China and Pakistan.
"It has different aspects and I am fully confident that under PM Modi's leadership, the foreign policy of Modi 3.0 will be very successful...For us, the influence of India has been steadily growing, not just in terms of our own perception but also what the other countries think. They feel that India is truly their friend and they have seen that in times of crisis, if there is one country that stands with the Global South, it is India. They have seen that when we put forward the African Union membership during the presidency of G20, the world trusted us and our responsibilities are also increasing, so we also believe that under the leadership of PM Modi, India's identity in the world will definitely increase," he told ANI, when about the UNSC seat.
S Jaishankar said the Narendra Modi government 3.0's focus will be on finding a solution for the border issues with China.
{{/usCountry}}S Jaishankar said the Narendra Modi government 3.0's focus will be on finding a solution for the border issues with China.
{{/usCountry}}"In any country and especially in a democracy, it is a very big deal for a government to get elected three times in a row. So the world will definitely feel that today there is a lot of political stability in India...As far as Pakistan and China are concerned, the relations with those countries are different, and the problems there are also different. Our focus with regard to China will be on finding a solution for the border issues," he said.
On Pakistan, S Jaishankar said India would try to find a solution for cross-border terrorism.
"With Pakistan, we would want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism..." he added.
S Jaishankar was welcomed by the officers of the ministry with a bouquet.
He said it was an immense honour to be once again given the responsibility of leading the Ministry of External Affairs. He said the ministry performed exceptionally well in the previous Modi government.
"Together, we are very confident it will position us as 'Vishwa Bandhu', a country which is in a very turbulent world, in a very divided world, a world of conflicts and tensions. It would actually position us as a country which is trusted by many, whose prestige and influence, whose interests will be advanced," he added.
After his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, PM Modi met with the leaders of several countries who attended the event and said that India India would continue to amplify the voice of the Global South in the international arena. Amid New Delhi's Neighbourhood First push, PM Modi said India would work towards peace, progress and prosperity of the region.