External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading from the front in transforming relationships with several key partner countries over the past 10 years.
The EAM, while speaking at the release of the book 'Friends: India’s closest strategic partners' authored by Sreeram Chaulia in New Delhi, highlighted three transformations.
"The US, Japan and Australia have benefitted from Quad. They are actually examples of overcoming the hesitations of history. UAE and Israel are from a region that is being engaged comprehensively, at last. Russia and France are statements of multipolarity, ours as much as theirs," he said.
"If all these ties have changed so much in the last decade, much of the credit should go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal interest and leadership. Remember, at least three of them had not even seen a high-level visit for three decades," remarked EAM Jaishankar.
While in some cases, he said, limited interaction took place, in others there were "longstanding ideological doubts" to overcome.
The EAM admitted that cultivating friendships for a large power like India is never easy.
"There is the emotional factor that comes with shared experiences that can be seen most visibly in respect with the Global South as we have a historical commonality. However, smaller partners need both constant reassurance and non-reciprocal handling. We see that as well in our Neighbourhood First policy.
Jaishankar acknowledged that India's presence in world order today also attracts competition that will only grow as the country moves towards becoming a leading power with even friendships not being exclusive in the multipolar world.
"Even friendships will not be without some hedging. Relating to other major powers is also a challenge in itself. The more global they are, the broader are their range of activities and interests... Sometimes friends have other friends, who may not necessarily be ours. They may reflect the dilemmas of the old order and the new. It is therefore essential that we never confuse convergence for congruence," said the EAM.
Fall of Congress in Gujarat: Three decades of decline and struggle for relevance
The Congress party was once the dominant political force in Gujarat, shaping the state’s governance since independence. However, over the past 30 years, the party has witnessed a dramatic downfall, losing ground to the BJP’s aggressive electoral strategies, organisational strength, and ideological appeal.
‘Disempowering Muslims’: J&K political parties oppose Waqf (Amendment) Bill
All political parties of J&K, except the BJP, opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims and only target one religion.
Radical group founder wanted in Jaipur serial blast plot apprehended in Ratlam
The Madhya Pradesh Police in Ratlam achieved a significant breakthrough in apprehending Firoz, also known as Sabji, a fugitive implicated in a conspiracy to execute serial blasts aimed at creating panic and terrorising the Rajasthan capital city of Jaipur.
Amit Shah & Akhilesh Yadav’s lighter exchange in LS over party president
Amid the uproar and heated debate between the ruling party and the Opposition over the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha witnessed some lighter moments between Home Minister Amit Shah and SP President Akhilesh Yadav.
Waqf Bill weakens Constitution, defames minorities, divides society: Gaurav Gogoi
As Parliament debated the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, deputy leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi came down heavily on the government.
Bill not linked to religion, it’s prospective and not retrospective: Kiren Rijiju flays naysayers
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tore into the Opposition for ‘spreading falsehood’ over the Waqf Amendment Bill and urged the ‘doubters and naysayers’ to refrain from misleading the people on the proposed reforms.
Parliament was being claimed as Waqf property: Rijiju slams UPA for making provisions 'overriding' other laws
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday bashed the previous UPA government for de-notifying 123 properties and handing them over to the Delhi Waqf Board.
Bhopal’s Muslims burst firecrackers in support of Waqf (Amendment) Bill
A large number of Muslims in Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, burst firecrackers on Wednesday to express their support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was presented in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.