External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently stressed the need for new cooperation models to deal with global crises during his interaction with DGAP in Berlin. He talked about further strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Europe, especially India and Germany. During this, he made a very precise and diplomatic comment pointing towards the USA: “The old 911 number will not work anymore.”
This statement raises questions about the outdated methods of dealing with global terrorism and crises. By referring to “the old 911 number will not work anymore”, Jaishankar indicated that old strategies and support systems are no longer enough.
Dr. Jaishankar said that the nature of crises nowadays is changing rapidly – challenges like terrorism, cyberwar, climate change, and geopolitical conflict can no longer be solved by outdated methods. In such a situation, India and Europe will have to come together and build new strategic partnerships based on trust and common interests.
Jaishankar also mentioned the recent Pahalgam terror attack and how India responded quickly and accurately by carrying out ‘Operation Sindoor.’ He said that after this operation, India received tremendous support from the international community, which justified India’s stand against terrorism. Germany has also condemned the attack and supported India’s right to self-defense against terrorism.
Jaishankar said that the “horrific, particularly brutal terrorist attack” in Pahalgam was aimed at “creating an atmosphere of fear and destroying the tourism economy of Kashmir.” The attack was also aimed at creating religious differences, as the way the victims were identified and killed according to their religion was very shameful.
He further expressed the need to strengthen the strategic relations between Germany and India and said that together the two countries can not only protect their regional interests but also promote stability and cooperation at the global level. He also thanked the German leadership for this. Strategic cooperation between India and Germany is essential to tackle modern challenges like cyberwarfare and terrorism.
