NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar reminded Pakistan that India is awaiting the return of the part of Jammu and Kashmir currently under what he described as Pakistan's illegal occupation.  

In response to a question from a Pakistani journalist during a discussion at Chatham House in London, Dr. Jaishankar stated, “The part we are waiting for is the return of the stolen part of Kashmir, which is under illegal Pakistani occupation. Once that is done, Kashmir will be resolved.”  

The EAM emphasized that while most regional conflicts have been resolved after the removal of Article 370, and spoke about the situation in Kashmir and the steps taken by the Indian government, such as restoring growth and economic activity and social justice in Kashmir as well as holding elections which were successfully conducted in the Union Territory with a large turnout by the people there.

He also discussed India’s relationship with the U.S. under President Donald Trump, noting that Washington's shift toward a multipolar world aligns with India’s interests. He pointed out that this shift was beneficial to India, adding, “We see a president and an administration moving towards multipolarity, and that is something that suits India.”  

Dr. Jaishankar further highlighted the success of the QUAD alliance, which includes India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan, as an example of productive international cooperation.  

Regarding trade, the EAM noted that India and the U.S. had agreed on the need for a bilateral trade agreement following discussions between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump at the White House. He mentioned that India’s Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, was in the U.S. for negotiations and that the two countries had held frank discussions about tariffs.