New Delhi, May 4 (ANI): In a candid and assertive address at the Arctic Circle India Forum 2025, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underscored India’s growing assertiveness on the world stage, emphasizing that the country is seeking equal partnerships—not unsolicited advice—from its global counterparts, particularly Europe.
Jaishankar noted that while the United States has become more self-sufficient and China remains strategically consistent, Europe is under pressure to adjust to an evolving, multipolar global order. He remarked that parts of Europe have yet to fully grasp or adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape.
“We have now reached a size and a stage where almost anything consequential that happens in any corner of the world matters to us,” Jaishankar said. “The United States is much more self-sufficient today than it has been in a long time. Europe is today under pressure to change. The realities of multipolarity are dawning on it. I think it has still not adjusted and absorbed it fully.”
The Minister criticized what he described as a tendency by some European nations to preach values abroad while failing to uphold the same standards domestically. “When we look at the world, we look for partners, we don’t look for preachers—particularly, preachers who don’t practice at home what they preach abroad,” he stated pointedly.
He added that for any meaningful collaboration to develop, there must be “understanding, sensitivity, mutuality of interest, and a realisation of how the world works.”
Jaishankar also took the opportunity to highlight India’s increasing engagement with the polar regions. Recalling over 40 years of Indian presence in Antarctica, he pointed to the country’s recent focus on the Arctic through a formal policy and international partnerships, including agreements with KSAT on Svalbard, which bolster India’s space and climate initiatives.
“As the country with the most young people on this planet, what happens in the Arctic is of extreme importance to us,” Jaishankar said, adding that the region’s warming climate, opening maritime routes, and technological opportunities have profound global implications. “Given the Arctic’s trajectory, its impact will be global, making it everyone’s concern.”
He concluded by linking the Arctic’s strategic and environmental relevance to India’s future. “For India, this matters deeply as our economic growth accelerates.”
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