By Kavita Mistry 
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S Jaishankar highlighted India’s focus on strategic autonomy and “de-hyphenation,” aiming to ensure third countries consider India independently in their calculations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (File photo/PTI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday noted that India has multiple neighbours, but some are better than others.
Without naming Pakistan, the External Affairs Minister said India cannot wish away a difficult neighbour, however unpleasant it may be.
Speaking at the Aravalli Summit 2025 at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jaishankar also outlined India’s approach to its neighbours and the evolving global order, stressing the importance of strategic autonomy.
“We have multiple neighbours, and some are better than others. The hyphenation happens with a neighbour who is not so nice,” he said, explaining that “when we say de-hyphenation, it means it is our objective that decisions made by third countries about us are made keeping in mind as a primary factor of calculation. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would accommodate us.”
“Nobody talks like that anymore. So, I cannot wish away a difficult neighbour. I mean, that is a reality, however unpleasant it may be,” he added.
His remarks came as he responded to questions after his address at the event, also indicating that countries no longer draw an equivalence between India and Pakistan as was heard in the seventies.
Jaishankar also talked about the competitive nature of international politics and attempts by a few countries to use a situation for their ends.
“You will always see attempts to balance this, or if there is a situation to use this to their own edge, then that is the competitive nature of international politics,” he said.
On India’s approach, Jaishankar noted, “From our perspective, the best way of de-hyphenation is to outstrip the other party in terms of power and capability.”
“And today, you know, I can tell you as a person who travels, meets people, I’ve just come from a UN session. The kind of equivalence that I would hear when I joined the Foreign Service, when I left JNU and entered the Foreign Service in the 1970s, Ambassador (Kanwal) Sibal would vouch for a decade before that,” he said.
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Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
October 07, 2025, 09:31 IST
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