Relations with Bangladesh to remain positive and constructive: Jaishankar

Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said that India's relations with neighbours Sri Lanka and Bangladesh would continue to be ‘positive and constructive’ and none should be deterministic about it.

‘I would urge you not to be deterministic about our relations. It's not like India wants  to control every political move of every neighbour. That's not how it works. It doesn't work, not just for us, it doesn't work for anybody else,’ said the Indian external affairs minister after attending a discussion titled ‘India, Asia, and the World’.

Asiatic Society and Asia Society Policy Institute in New York organised it on Tuesday, reports PTI.

A journalist made a remark that India has unconditionally supported Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and provided loans. But the recently installed governments in both countries seem to be anti-Indian.

Replying to this question, Jayashankar said, "At the end of the day, each of our neighbours will have their own particular dynamics. It's not our intention to suggest that their dynamics must necessarily adhere to what we might consider as being better for us. I think this is the real world. I mean, everybody makes their choices and then countries adjust to each other and find ways of working it out."

He also added that the case of Bangladesh is a little different.

"Over the last one decade, we have taken on many projects in that country which have been fruitful for both of us. Economic activity has flourished and infrastructure has improved," he added.

Jaishankar's remarks came a day after his first meeting with Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Diplomatic sources termed the meeting as effective, positive and constructive.