For Many Decades, West Didn't Supply Weapons To India: Jaishankar On Russian Weapons

For multiple decades, western countries didn't supply weapons to India. The military dictatorship next to us was the preferred partner, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday in Australia. 

He said in response to a question that we have a substantial inventory of Soviet and Russian-origin weapons. And that inventory actually grew for a variety of reasons. The merits of the weapons systems themselves, but also because for multiple decades, Western countries did not supply weapons to India, and in fact, saw a military dictatorship next to us as the preferred partner," apparently pointed out towards Pakistan, which was a close ally of the US-led West during the Cold War.

He also said, "We all in international politics deal with what we have, we make judgments, judgments which are reflective of both our future interests as well as our current situation. And my sense is, in terms of this current conflict, like every military conflict, there are learnings from it, and I am sure my very professional colleagues in the military would be studying it very carefully.”

India and Australia held meetings on wide-ranging topics, including the Quad, G20 issues, the UN, IAEA, climate finance and Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the statement, steps are being taken to amend the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, and also looked at areas like critical minerals, cyber security and new and renewable energy. 

“I think the underpinning is that, as liberal democracies, we both believe in a rules-based international order, in freedom of navigation in international waters, in promoting connectivity, growth, and security for all and in ensuring that countries make sovereign choices on matters that are important to them,” the minister added.