External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stressed that a partner's lack of empathy or understanding regarding India's cross-border terror concerns directly impacts bilateral relations.
He highlighted that India has suffered decades of terrorism orchestrated by a neighbor as a deliberate, conscious policy.
The remarks highlight friction points—alongside trade differences—stemming from Washington's renewed diplomatic engagement with Pakistan.
Terrorism emanating from its neighbour is one of India’s primary concerns, and if this is not fully appreciated by New Delhi's partners, it impacts bilateral ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, alluding to India-US relations amid upswing in Washington-Islamabad ties.
The External Affairs Minister has addressed prominent members of the Indian-American and diaspora community as well as policy experts at a special conversation hosted at Asia Society, as the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly wrapped up on Monday.
During a conversation moderated by former American diplomat and distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute Daniel Russel, Jaishankar was asked about US-India relations, particularly amid developments related to trade and and tariffs over the past year, and what would have to happen to put the bilateral relationship on a “better track”.
"Well, I think if I stand back and look at the relationship,... I note that much of the world has had a more difficult relationship with the US. I mean that may not be a consolation, but that's a reality,” Jaishankar said.
He then alluded to ties between the US and Pakistan, which have seen an upswing over the past year, especially just months after the second term of the Donald Trump administration commenced in January 2025.
One of the issues “pertains to the sensitivities of each country,” Jaishankar said.
Cross-Border Terrorism Concerns
“What for us in India is particularly important is the issue of terrorism. That we feel that...as a country perhaps there are very few countries which have been subjected to the kind of terrorism that we have from a neighbour as part of a deliberate, conscious policy over many, many decades,” Jaishankar said, making a reference to Pakistan.
“Now, if something which matters so deeply to us, there isn't enough understanding or appreciation or empathy of that, I think that creates a problem too. That you know if... one of my primary concerns is not fully appreciated by my partner, then clearly there is an impact of that on the relationship,” he said, referring to the ties between India and the US.
US-Pakistan Ties Friction
Just months into the second Trump administration in the White House, the India-US relationship faced turbulence over issues, including tariffs, trade, Russian energy purchases by Delhi as well as challenges posed by Washington’s renewed engagement with Pakistan.
In May last year, India had launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the dastardly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir perpetrated by 'The Resistance Front', a proxy of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists were killed.
Throughout last year and as recently as in his address to the UN General Assembly last week, Trump has claimed that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan. India has consistently denied any third-party intervention.
In June last year, after returning from the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also attended, Trump hosted Pakistan Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir had met Trump again in the White House during the UN General Assembly session in September last year. Trump has publicly praised Munir on various occasions calling him a “Great General. Great Field Marshal, a great guy."
Jaishankar said “we would certainly hope for and expect the (India-US) relationship to move on an upward trajectory. But I have to be real about the issues that we confront, and to the extent we are able to move ahead on some of these issues, I think we'll have a better relationship."
