External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed India’s trade relationship with Pakistan, clarifying that it was Pakistan, not India, that halted trade in 2019. Speaking at a press conference in Washington DC on Wednesday, Jaishankar said, “We did not stop trading. Their administration made the decision in 2019 to not continue trading with us.”
He further emphasized India’s longstanding concern regarding the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status. “We used to give MFN status to Pakistan, but they did not give it to us,” Jaishankar said, underscoring the one-sided nature of the arrangement.
The minister also noted the absence of any recent dialogue or initiatives on trade between the two nations. “There have been no such talks with Pakistan from our side regarding trade, nor has there been any initiative from their side,” he added.
While discussing India-US relations, Jaishankar highlighted the strong bond and mutual trust between the two nations. “We have a very strong degree of trust today between India and the United States, a very high level of convergence of our interests,” he stated.
He elaborated on the shared commitment to national interests and global welfare, saying, “While we serve our national interests and build our bilateral partnership, there is a strong sense that we can do a lot of good on regional and global issues. This sense of global good was evident in our discussions.”
Jaishankar described his talks with US officials as a “broad brush conversation” with consensus on being “bolder, bigger, and more ambitious” in advancing India-US ties.
The External Affairs Minister was in Washington to represent India at US President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. He also delivered a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the newly sworn-in 47th President of the United States.
