India is Looking for Partners, Not Preachers: Jaishankar

At an interaction on the Arctic region at the Arctic Circle India Forum ahead of the forthcoming India-Nordic Summit, the EAM said, while speaking on Europe: “When we look out at the world, we look for partners. We don’t look for preachers, particularly preachers who don’t practice at home what they preach abroad.”

The EAM further said that “Europe has entered a zone of reality check” in view of global developments and that while “some of Europe is still struggling”, some of it has changed”. He added: “Just like I am an advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism.”

It may be noted that while Russia is a major player in the Arctic region, the Nordic countries and the larger European continent has been upset by the assertion of the Trump administration that the large territory of Greenland, which is part of Denmark, should be handed over to the United States. Mr Modi will be visiting Norway soon and this is viewed as an opportunity to strengthen ties with the entire Nordic region, including Norway and Denmark. Further, ties between most European nations and Russia had also soured after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war three years ago.

On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EAM noted that India has always been “very careful not to prescribe a solution”. In another jibe at the West, he said: “We have not told one or the other party to do this or do that. And that is important to remember because that is a courtesy that is not always granted to us. So, we get advice on what we should be doing.”