Brussels: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his visit to Brussels this week, met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, where he highlighted India's strategic importance, its global positioning, and expressed reservations on key EU policies. Speaking amid ongoing EU-India free trade agreement negotiations, Jaishankar made a strong case for India as a reliable economic partner. "India - a nation of 1.4 billion - offers skilled labour and a more trustworthy economic partnership than China," he said. Turning to recent global coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir, in which 26 lives were lost, Jaishankar pushed back against the narrative that equates India's response with regional tensions.

"Let me remind you of something - there was a man named Osama bin Laden. Why did he, of all people, feel safe living for years in a Pakistmilitary town, right next to their equivalent of West Point?" he said.

"I want the world to understand - this isn't merely an India-Pakistan issue. It's about terrorism. And that very same terrorism will eventually come back to haunt you."

On India's position regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar reaffirmed India's non-prescriptive stance. "We don't believe that differences can be resolved through war - we don't believe a solution will come from the battlefield. It's not for us to prescribe what that solution should be. My point is, we're not being prescriptive or judgemental - but we are also not uninvolved."

Responding to criticism over India's refusal to join sanctions against Russia, he said, "We have a strong relationship with Ukraine as well - it's not only about Russia. But every country, naturally, considers its own experience, history and interests."

He further offered a historical perspective on India's foreign policy outlook. "India has the longest-standing grievance - our borders were violated just months after independence, when Pakistan sent in invaders to Kashmir. And the countries that were most supportive of that? Western countries."