During an interplay with the Indian diaspora in Singapore, India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, supplied insightful reflections on the linguistic intricacies of world diplomacy, India-Singapore relationship, and the Look East coverage. Jaishankar’s dialogue spanned numerous subjects, from a veiled jibe at China to India’s strategic partnership with Singapore.

Here are the highest 3 takeaways:

1. A jibe at China and Pakistan: Answering a query on how Indian officers method delicate, linguistically completely different points with diplomats from different nations, he mentioned, “What diplomacy is about is to find a way of reconciling it [different viewpoints] and coming to some kind of agreement.”

Then, Jaishankar emphasised that there are some points when there may be readability and no confusion. Using terrorism for example, he mentioned: “you can take it in any language, but a terrorist is a terrorist in any language.”

Without explicitly naming names, Jaishankar’s feedback pointed in direction of China obstructing a few of US and India’s proposals within the UN Security Council, significantly concerning the designation of Pakistan-based terrorists, together with Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir. “Never allow something like terrorism to be excused or defended because they’re using a different language or a different explanation,” he mentioned.

He mentioned there “will be issues when they are used as a cover as an excuse as a justification.”

2. India-Singapore ties and function of globalisation: Reflecting on the longstanding and evolving relationship between India and Singapore, Jaishankar remarked, that the 2 nations’ relations date again to Subhash Chandra Bose establishing the Indian National Army.

He advised the business-focused diaspora current on the occasion that the 2 nations’ relations, that started as Look East coverage and Act East insurance policies, have grown to India being within the Indo-Pacific. He attributed this to globalisation.

Singapore has been our accomplice within the globalisation of India and that function and companionship is one thing that we worth, mentioned Jaishankar

3. Security of Indians and India-origin folks: Jaishankar mentioned that that is India which, if it has to select, will make a selection for the welfare of its residents. He mentioned that India takes care of its residents and folks of Indian origins.

“As more and more Indians settle in different parts of the world, it is our responsibility to secure them, to ensure their wellbeing if they are in a difficult stage, to bring them home,” he mentioned, citing the state of affairs in Ukraine and Sudan.