New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered a humorous correction during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum when the discussion moderator omitted Japan from a concise summary of India's foreign policy framework. The minister quipped that failing to set the record straight would land him in domestic trouble, a reference to his wife, Kyoko Jaishankar, who is of Japanese origin.
Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait had quoted Jaishankar's established policy formulation during the panel, stating it involved engaging America, managing China, cultivating Europe, and reassuring Russia. With a smile, Jaishankar noted that a fifth critical nation had been left off the list.
Explaining that the line was originally crafted to meet a challenge of summarizing Indian foreign policy in a single sentence, Jaishankar jokingly emphasized the need for accuracy regarding Japan. Kyoko Somekawa met Jaishankar while he was stationed at the Indian Embassy in Japan.
Addressing the thought process behind the formulation, Jaishankar mentioned that he wanted a snappy and memorable summary, though he never implied that navigating those complex diplomatic relationships would be simple. He remarked that engaging major powers is far from a walk in the park, pointing to global shifts, Brexit, and evolving United States policies.
Jaishankar noted that he originally developed the formulation in 2020 while analyzing the growing complexity of global affairs, a theme he expanded upon in his writing. During the forum, the minister also touched upon various other geopolitical topics, including his reservations about labeling India as a middle power.