New Delhi: For any relationship to work, it has to meet the test of “mutual interest”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday in the context of the current state of ties between India and Bangladesh.
The external affairs minister also described Pakistan as a “unique” country in the world as there is no other nation that uses “terrorism so systematically” and in a sustained manner to attack and put pressure on a neighbour.
Jaishankar made the remarks at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.
“What I can tell you is, for any relationship to work, it has to meet the test of mutual interest. It has to work for us,” he said while declining to respond to a question on Dhaka’s demand to India to extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Jaishankar’s remarks came amid continuing uncertainty over Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s much-anticipated visit to India. It is learnt that both sides are continuing to hold back-channel talks to explore the possibility of the trip in the next couple of weeks.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced earlier this month that India has invited Rahman for a bilateral visit as well as to attend the outreach session of the upcoming BRICS summit in New Delhi.
Rahman’s expected visit to New Delhi is considered pivotal to rebuilding the bilateral relations that witnessed severe downturn after the collapse of the Hasina government two years back.
“I am not expecting neighbours to only do what is in my interest. There has to be a reasonable degree of my recognising and respecting what is in their interest, just as I expect them also to do so,” Jaishankar said in the context of relations with the neighbouring nations.
“It is when you get that landing point, that common ground, relationships work smoothly,” he said, adding “mutuality” of interests underpins overall engagement.
The India-Bangladesh relations came under some fresh strain after Hasina held a virtual media interaction in New Delhi on August 5.
Following the event, Dhaka reiterated its demand for her extradition and even sought to link it with Rahman’s planned trip to India.
India sought to distance itself from it, saying New delhi neither played a role in it nor endorsed Hasina’s comments.
The Bangladesh foreign ministry reacted sharply to her remarks and said the country is “outraged” as the interaction was permitted to be held despite Dhaka conveying concerns to New Delhi over the likely ramifications of the event on the bilateral relations.
Jaishankar also responded to a question on Pakistan-US relations by saying that the two countries have a “long history” of ties.
“Now, to a large extent, we have developed our own relationship with the United States, but here is the point: Pakistan is unique not because it is a neighbour of India. We have other neighbours. There are other countries who have problems between them.
“It is unique because in this day and age, there is no other country which uses terrorism so systematically and in such a sustained manner to attack and pressurise another neighbour, and that has an impact on public opinion in this country,” he said.
“I am a minister of a democratic polity. I cannot be impervious to what is the public opinion of my country,” he added.
