• Source:JND
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External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar defended India’s ‘all-alignment’ approach to diplomacy while speaking on the sidelines of the Munich security conference on Saturday, saying that the country should be admired for its ability to foster relationships globally, including with Russia and the United States (US). 

Jaishankar stated that India should not be criticised for having multiple options and also reaffirmed its stand and commitment to buy Russian oil despite respective sanctions on Moscow amid its war with Ukraine. 

When asked about India's foreign policy priorities in the backdrop of reports that it is transitioning from ‘non-alignment to all alignment’, Jaishankar said, “Is that a problem, why should that be a problem? If I am smart enough to have multiple options, you should be admiring me. Is that a problem for others? I don't think so, suddenly in this case. We try to explain what are the different pulls and pressures that countries have. it's very hard to have that unidimensional relationship.”

The moderator specifically mentioned India’s continued procurement of crude oil from Russia, despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Antony Blinken was seen smiling when Jaishankar made these remarks. 

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While speaking on the sidelines of the Munich security conference, Jaishnakar stood along with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock. 

Jaishnakar expanded on India’s bilateral relationship balance with the United States and Russia amid a strained relationship between the two superpowers due to Moscow’s invasion on Ukraine. 

“Different countries and different relationships have different histories. If I want to look at the US and Germany, it is rooted. There is an alliance, nature to it. There is a certain history on which that relationship is grounded. In our case it's very different, so I don't want you to even inadvertently give the impression that we are purely unsentimentally transactional. We are not, we get along with people, we believe in things, we share things, and we agree on some things but there are time when you are located in different places have different levels of development, and different experiences all of that gets into that," Jaishankar said. 

"Life is complicated, life is differentiated. and I think it's very important today. I agree with Antony which is, good partners provide choices, smart partners take some of the choices. But sometimes, there will be choices, you say I'll pass on that," he stated further.