Jaishankar said that world is entering an era of intense competition and strategic contestation, making it increasingly difficult for countries to plan effectively.“…in the past, we could insulate sectors, saying, you know, this doesn’t matter; this is only trade, it’s not political, it’s not defence, it’s not sensitive. I think what is our definition of what is sensitive has expanded. Nothing is only trade anymore. Nothing is purely business anymore. Everything is also personal,” he said.“So it’s kind of like a Goldilocks problem,” he quipped, implying that neither extreme—intense rivalry nor close cooperation between the US and China—has worked in India’s favour.As geopolitical and economic lines continue to blur, Jaishankar stressed the need for India to rethink and broaden its definition of what constitutes strategic importance.Referring to the Bilateral Trade deal with the US, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India is approaching the negotiations with a renewed sense of urgency.“This time around, we are certainly geared up for a very high degree of urgency. We see a window here and we want to seize that window. Our trade teams are really charged up. This is normally a complaint which in the past was made about us, that we are the guys slowing it down. Today, it is the other way around. We are trying to communicate that urgency on all three accounts,” he said.
Source link
