India has ‘freedom of choice’ in foreign relations, says EAM Jaishankar

Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar stressed the doctrine of “strategic autonomy” and, while emphasising the importance of maintaining strong relationships with major nations, said that India has “freedom of choice” in its relationships. “For a big country like us, it is very crucial that our key relationships are all in good repair. It is important that we maintain good relationship with as many players as possible. That we have that choice. That is foreign policy in a nutshell,” said Jaishankar while speaking at the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Saturday.

“Everybody knows that India has relations with all the major countries of the world. And for any country to expect to have a veto on how we develop our relationships with others, is not fair,” Jaishankar said.

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Asked about India’s trade tensions with the Trump administration in the US and the visit of Russian President Vladimir, Jaishankar said, “We have always made it clear that we have the freedom of choice; we have the strategic autonomy.”

On the trade deal between the US and India, the EAM said there are chances it happens “soon,” but did not specify a timeline.

Trade negotiations with the US need to be extremely judicious and what’s best for the Indian consumer, farmers, the middle class, thus the country needs to taken into consideration, he added.

On the ties with China, Jaishankar referred to the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, in October 2024. “Since then, by and large, border areas have remained stable… Peace and tranquility in border areas is a key requisite to good relationships,” he added.

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‘That is something she must decide’

When asked if former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was welcome to stay in India for “as long as she wants,” Jaishankar said, “She came here in a certain circumstance, and that circumstance is clearly a factor in what happens to her. But that is something she must decide.”

He said Hasina’s stay in India is a “personal decision” which depends on the “certain circumstance” that forced her to flee to New Delhi.

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Jaishankar said, “What we heard was that people in Bangladesh, particularly those who are now in power, had an issue with how the elections were conducted earlier. Now, if the issue was the election, the first order of business would be to do a fair election.”

Jaishankar expressed optimism about future bilateral ties, saying whatever emerges from a democratic process in Bangladesh will reflect a “balanced and mature view” of relations with India, and that things are likely to improve.

Hasina was recently sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi International Crimes Tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the protests.

Dhaka has repeatedly requested her extradition, which New Delhi says remains under “consideration”.