New Delhi

India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar, robustly addressed accusations of India being a regional bully during a recent book launch event in New Delhi. Responding to queries about India's stance, he said that countries deemed as "big bullies" do not extend substantial assistance to their neighbours in times of need, in a comment directed at New Delhi's timely assistance to Sri Lanka during the country's economic crisis early on in 2022. 

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Jaishankar underlined India's significant support, stating, "Big bullies don’t provide a whopping aid of USD 4.5 billion to help neighbours when in distress. Big bullies don’t supply vaccines to other countries when Covid is on or make exceptions to their own rules to respond to food demands or fuel demands or fertiliser demands because some war in some other part of the world has complicated their lives."

During the event, the minister highlighted the positive shifts in India's relations with neighbouring countries, citing advancements in power grids, road infrastructure, and port usage. The 'neighbourhood first' policy is the premier foreign policy focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration under which India maintains good relations with countries in its immediate neighbourhood.

He specifically pointed to improved bilateral relations with countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal, emphasising the growth in trade, investments, and travel with nations like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

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Jaishankar, while pointing to India's global contributions during the Covid pandemic, asserted that the nation assisted several neighbouring countries and global partners with vaccines and related assistance. 

In January, after assuming office, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu took a swipe at India amid the ongoing diplomatic row on returning from his five-day trip to China. 

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"We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the license to bully us," Muizzu said.

Muizzu claimed that the Indian Ocean "does not belong" to one particular country and that Maldives "is not in anyone's backyard". 

(With inputs from agencies)