India has not shied away and taken a “clear stand” on some of the crucial geopolitical developments be it the Russia-Ukraine War or China’s military actions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Beijing’s promotion of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to External Affairs Minister.

“We have taken a clear stand with the Ukraine issue … We have also taken a clear position when it came to our northern neighbours, vis-à-vis, China and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI),” Jaishankar said a press conference on nine years of the Narendra Modi government.

India and China have been engaged in a military standoff at the LAC since April-May 2020 that also witnessed the killing of 20 Indian soldiers at Galwan by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

According to Jaishankar, in the past nine year India has emerged as a “development partner” and that can be seen when India went forward to help Sri Lanka during its economic crisis “when most of the world was sitting on their hands.”

“The world today largely sees India as a development partner, and more so in the neighbourhood,” he added.

Jaishankar also said that the Modi government was able to “delegitimise” terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

He also said since 2014 when the Modi government came to power there had been “strategic clarity” and there had been “strategic communication”.

(With inputs from agencies)