New Delhi on Friday reacted to US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti‘s recent remark that there is no such thing as strategic autonomy in times of conflict, and said that the US ambassador is entitled to his opinion. “India, like many other countries, values its strategic autonomy. The US Ambassador is entitled to his opinion. We also have own and different views.Our comprehensive global strategic partnership with the US gives us the space to agree to disagree on certain issues, while respecting each other’s viewpoints,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Garcetti recently spoke at the Defence News Conclave organised by CUTS International and said: “I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other. I don’t care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends… that in times of need in the next day be acting together, that we’ll know each other’s equipment, that we know each other’s training, we’ll know each other’s systems, and we’ll know each other as human beings as well.”
“No war is distant anymore, and we must not just stand for peace. We must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That’s something the US needs to know and that India needs to know together,” the US envoy said.
Garcetti’s comments came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia during which Modi embraced Russian president Vladimir Putin — a gesture that drew criticism from Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, The US state department also expressed concerns over India’s ties with Russia.
Garcetti recently spoke at the Defence News Conclave organised by CUTS International and said: “I respect that India likes its strategic autonomy, but in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other. I don’t care what title we put to it, but we will need to know that we are trusted friends… that in times of need in the next day be acting together, that we’ll know each other’s equipment, that we know each other’s training, we’ll know each other’s systems, and we’ll know each other as human beings as well.”
“No war is distant anymore, and we must not just stand for peace. We must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That’s something the US needs to know and that India needs to know together,” the US envoy said.
Garcetti’s comments came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia during which Modi embraced Russian president Vladimir Putin — a gesture that drew criticism from Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, The US state department also expressed concerns over India’s ties with Russia.
Source Agencies
