External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar has said that India is positioning itself as a global friend today. Addressing the gathering at a book launch event in New Delhi, Dr. Jaishankar underlined that New Delhi seeks to be friends with as many countries as possible. He highlighted that in India, there are cultural and historical factors at work, including the fact that the country is not a dogmatic civilization. On the subject of QUAD, Dr. Jaishankar emphasized that the U.S., Japan, and Australia have benefited from QUAD.

Dr. Jaishankar mentioned that sensitivities like sovereignty and territorial integrity will always be factors in evaluating partners. He elaborated that some friends may also be more complicated than others and may not always share the same culture of mutual respect or ethos of diplomatic etiquette. He said that India has, from time to time, seen comments on its domestic issues. Dr. Jaishankar opined that what is freedom for one country can become interference for another.