'Predictability Today Has A Huge Premium in Global Politics': EAM S Jaishankar After Meeting German Counterpart Wadephul

New Delhi: Amid India-US tensions following Trump's penal tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that predictability currently carries a "huge premium" in the global political scenario.

He made these remarks after concluding a delegation-level meeting with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, in Delhi.

Jaishankar expressed hope that India's strategic relationships with other countries would be maintained despite trade-related challenges.

Highlighting the nature of the relationship between India and Germany, Jaishankar said, "We have important strategic relationships with several countries, and in the nature of global politics or strategy today, each of these relationships must be maintained and optimized. To me, Germany, both in itself and as the largest country in the European Union, is central to the calculations and relationships we have in the world."

"For us, this is an enormously important relationship. It is growing in substance, and at this time of uncertainty, it holds even greater value. It's a steady relationship where, by and large, our mutual promises and policies remain constant and predictable. Predictability today carries a huge premium in global politics," he added.

Noting changes in the global strategic landscape, the Foreign Minister said these shifts influence countries' approaches toward one another. He also emphasized the need for a "deeper, stronger, wider" India-Germany relationship.

"The changes we see in the world today influence our policies and the way we approach other countries. We are witnessing significant and far-reaching changes in the global strategic landscape. We are also seeing considerable volatility in the global economic landscape, and together, these factors make a compelling case for India, the European Union, and Germany to work much more closely together," he said.

"This relationship offers considerable potential for rapid growth. Today, our conversation focused primarily on the bilateral aspects. The minister was kind enough to assure me that Germany would fully support the FTA negotiations with the European Union. So, the bottom line is yes: there are significant changes underway in the world, and these changes make a compelling case for a deeper, stronger, wider India-Germany relationship," he added.

US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 50 percent tariff on Indian imports due to India's purchase of Russian oil. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar previously expressed perplexity at the logic behind this decision, noting that China, not India, is the largest buyer of Russian oil and describing the tariffs as 'unjustified and unreasonable.' The Foreign Minister emphasized that India will not compromise on its farmers' interests.

“We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil; that is China. We are not the largest purchasers of LNG; that is the European Union. We are not the country with the largest trade surge with Russia since 2022; I think there are some countries to the south,” he said, responding to a question about US tariffs on India at a joint press briefing with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.

Also Read: 'India Counts on Germany to Deepen Relationship With EU and Expedite FTA Negotiations': EAM S Jaishankar