NEW DELHI: Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has called for keeping a careful watch on the developing relations between Pakistan and Turkey since both countries are interfering in Kashmir specially after the abrogation of Article 370.
”Imran Khan is deeply hostile to India and he is deeply immersed in Islamic politics. Now with the abrogation of Article 370 the depth of frustration in Pakistan is immense. We have to watch the developing Pakistan-Turkey relations very carefully.
Turkish President Erdogan wants to become the leader of the Islamic world. This relationship needs to be watched as they are now beginning to interfere in Jammu and Kashmir” Mr Sibal who is also former Ambassador to Russia and France, said.
Speaking at a webinar ‘India’s Foreign policy under Prime Minister Modi’ organised by the Indo-American Friendship Association on August 24, Mr Sibal said India needs to strengthen its maritime security and should take active part in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or ‘Quad’.
“We need to strengthen our maritime security under which the Indo-Pacific and ‘Quad’ will become increasingly important. We have to persuade ASEAN that the Indo-Pacific and the quad concept actually helps them to deal with China,” he said.
Mr Sibal expressed concern at the possibility of the situation deteriorating in Afghanistan after the imminent Taliban ”victory”.
”I am afraid the situation in Afghanistan is bound to deteriorate, Afghanistan is going to get Talibanised, There is a likelihood of civil conflict also,” He said that taking certain domestic decisions would bolster our economy and help us take more proactive foreign policy decisions. Important domestic decisions would have to be taken in the context of the US-China trade war.
”We have to take some very important domestic decisions in terms of benefiting from the US-China trade war with regard to establishing appropriate infrastructure and develop supply chains. These are outside the realm of foreign policy but could greatly impact our foreign policy choices.”
Mr Sibal did not feel that the current border confrontation between India and China would escalate into a full blown war. “I don’t expect the current clash with China escalating into a full scale military confrontation. China would be wary of a the two front war, it faces a very formidable adversary in the form of United States in Western Pacific.
He rejected that world had become bi polar with China having emerged as a super power. “I don’t believe that China has become a super power which can challenge the US. China’s ideology is not attractive, it hardly has any foreign bases, its military is being contained by the US in the Western Pacific, China is relatively landlocked and it hardly has any friends besides Pakistan,” he added. (AGENCIES)
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