NEW DELHI, Jan 17:
Any country that seeks aid would prefer to engage with India rather than China because they know New Delhi will not engage in any “arm-twisting”, Union Minister Gen. (retd) V K Singh said today.
Singh, a former chief of the Indian Army, said that the countries seeking aid from China are aware that some amount of arm-twisting will take place.
“Today if you see China, in large parts of the world it is there because its economy is supporting it… Again it is an interesting issue (that) all the countries which seek or take aid, (they) view India and China differently. They would much rather engage with us, because we do not arm-twist them,” he said.
The Minister of State for External Affairs said the countries know that when they take assistance from China, “arm twisting will take place… Whether it is in terms of taking concessions from them, whether it is asking for certain favours, arm-twisting takes place”.
Speaking at a panel discussion here on ‘Emerging Dynamics of Modi Government’s Foreign Policy’, Singh also rejected suggestions that the Prime Minister’s Office and National Security Adviser take decisions regarding foreign policy vis-a -vis Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“(That) perception is not correct,” he said. Singh said policy decisions are taken depending on the pros and cons involved.
Dismissing the perception that the Ministry of External Affairs is kept out of decisions on Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said that these are based on inputs and the view that MEA is not involved when it comes to Pakistan and Afghanistan “is not correct”.
Singh said though it was too early to make an assessment of where things are on the foreign policy front in the initial months of the Modi government, New Delhi has made it clear that while it is magnanimous with neighbours, it will also be very firm.
He said the new government reached out to SAARC countries by inviting heads of states for the swearing-in ceremony, but later talks scheduled with Pakistan were put off to show a firmness in New Delhi’s stand. He, however, did not name Pakistan.
He said after the new government took over, a lot of “positivity” has been created around the world as people are looking at New Delhi differently.
Singh said with a majority government in place, world leaders know that decisions will be taken without pandering to allies.
The Minister claimed that India has often been referred to as NATO — no action, talk only. He said a senior Myanmar general, who is now an important member of that country’s legislature, had told him so in 2008.
He said his personal view was that there should be an amalgamation of military and diplomatic interests. Giving an example, he said Pakistan shares a better military diplomacy with Pentagon which India does not. (PTI)
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