External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that India’s relationship with China is better today than it was last year. Speaking at an event organised by Asia Society in New York, Dr Jaishankar said the relationship started improving once the border standoff was resolved. He said that India has long been telling China that a dip in bilateral relationship does not help either country and a long standoff does not serve the interests of any nation.

Speaking about the India-US relationship, and the trade deal negotiations, the External Affairs Minister said both nations have reached a situation where there is an understanding on the trade agreement. He pointed out that India is a society of small producers, small agriculture producers, and small factories. He added that apart from the per capita gap between India and the US, the nature of production and the nature of society are very different. He said a trade negotiation required a certain amount of patience and detailing to see it through. He admitted that tariffs did create a bump for the relationship last year.

Dr Jaishankar also highlighted the issue of terrorism, saying it is a particularly important issue for India. He remarked that there is not enough understanding or empathy from the US side regarding that. The External Affairs Minister stated that the Russia-Ukraine and the Iran-Gulf conflicts had a devastating impact on Global South economies. He expressed concern about the energy situation, saying the market is very tight. He further stated that if people play politics with it, it adds to the market complications and drives up prices at a time when people should be stabilising prices. He also cautioned that there is likelihood of a major food crisis, and significant fertiliser shortages, in the coming months.