Stating that the mood in “India is not to overlook terrorists”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday that it is “unfortunate” to deal with a neighbour like Pakistan that blatantly uses terrorism as an instrument of statecraft.

Speaking at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Saturday, EAM Jaishankar said that “every country wants a stable neighbourhood, it’s logical”.

“We have been unfortunate… How do you deal with a neighbour who does not hide the fact that they use terrorism as an instrument of statecraft?” the minister, who is on a three-day visit to Singapore, said in response to a question on India-Pakistan’s relations.

On Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism, he said: “It’s not a one-off happening… but very sustained, almost at an industry level… So what we have come to conclude is that we have to find a way of addressing (the menace), that dodging the problem gets us nowhere, it only invites more trouble,” he said.

The Minister added that while India does not have a “quick instantaneous fix” to the issue, he underlined that New Delhi “will not skirt this problem anymore”.

“We are not going to say, ‘well, that happened and let’s continue our dialogue’… we have a problem and we must be honest enough to face up to that problem, however difficult it is… we should not give the other country a free pass, saying there’s nothing they can do about it or it’s a very hard problem, or there’s so much else at stake that let us overlook,” he said.

At the recent Rising Bharat Summit, EAM Jaishankar said that India’s relations with Pakistan are very “formal and minimal”.

He stated that the bilateral ties have been also hit because of the neighbouring nation’s reaction to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

S. Jaishankar is on a three-nation tour to Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia from March 23-27, to strengthen bilateral relations.

He began his Singapore visit on Saturday by paying homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the brave Indian National Army (INA) soldiers.

“The INA Marker in Singapore recognises their deep patriotism and indomitable spirit that remain an inspiration for generations to come,” he wrote on X.

The Minister last visited Singapore in October 2023 to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.