“We have partnership with individual countries and with EU as a whole”: Jaishankar at Raisina Dialogue

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday emphasised that India has a partnership with individual countries, adding that it also has a partnership with the European Union as a whole.

While speaking during a session at the Raisina Dialogue on Friday, EAM said, “We have a practical partnership, we have a partnership with individual countries, and we have a partnership with the EU as a whole.”

He further said that India is in talks with the EU on how both of us can be much more self-reliant when it comes to renewable technologies.

“One example that comes to mind is the collaboration we had with Germany to create the grids that were necessary for solarification to increase very rapidly. But even in terms of technology, we are very much in conversation with the EU on how we can both be much more self-reliant when it comes to renewable technologies,” he said.

EAM Jaishankar said that people talk to each other and they have a sense of what has been the conversation.

“The first thing is not to be too clever. I don’t go to one place and say something and go to another place and say something completely different, because at the end of the day, people talk to each other, and people know that at every place they have a sense of what’s been the conversation. So I think levelling with people, putting out a point of view, and being helpful at times,” he said.

Emphasising the need to be straightforward, he said that sometimes, people say, You’re a diplomat, why are you so blunt? Or why are you straightforward?”

He stressed that being straightforward is the best form of diplomacy because when they consider you straightforward, they take you seriously.

“Sometimes people say, you’re a diplomat, why are you so blunt? Or why are you straightforward? Believe me, that’s the best form of diplomacy. Because when you are straightforward, they think you are straightforward. Then people take what you say seriously and sincerely. They don’t think you mean ill, they don’t think you’re putting them down, they take it for what it really is,” he added.

Earlier today, Jaishankar met his counterparts from the Czech Republic, Romania and Bhutan in New Delhi on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue 2024.

The Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, along with Jaishankar, explored areas of collaboration in India-Czech ties.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar also met his counterpart from Romania.

Notably, the Raisina Dialogue, on the sidelines of which the Foreign Ministers of various countries met Jaishankar, is jointly organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.