India will not yield to the West on a range of issues, particularly the country’s security and trade relations, said Jaiveer Shergill, spokesperson of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in an interview with Anupam Kher on the RT channel’s Talking Bharat program on Wednesday.
The era of submission is a thing of the past and a new era of mutual respect and cooperation has begun, Shergill said, adding that experts who predict that India will join one or the other bloc are not on the same page.
“When it comes to international alliances, India has always followed its own course and as a nation, India is clear that it will go with its friends but will not yield to anyone” Shergill said.
“New York or Brussels will no longer be the sole decision-makers” Shergill prophesied, adding that capitals like New Delhi and Nairobi are important actors that have a significant say in global affairs.
The BJP spokesperson also touched on India’s relations with Russia, describing them as “time-tested” and the two countries as “all-weather friends.” Citing the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow last year, Shergill said the hug with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a symbol of deep friendship, warmth and a bright future ahead.
Putin is scheduled to pay an official visit to India later this year and preparations for the event are already underway, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said.