EAM Jaishankar takes dig at Maldives amid ‘big bully’ claims, says, ‘Big bullies don't provide $4.5 bn to neighbours’

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ANI, Jaishankar emphasized that “big bullies" do not extend aid amounting to USD 4.5 billion when neighbouring countries face distress. EAM Jaishankar at the event on Sunday, “The big change today in this part of the world is what has happened between India and its neighbours.

When you say India is perceived as a big bully, you know, big bullies don't provide four and a half billion dollars when the neighbours are in trouble." He added, “Big bullies don't supply vaccines to other countries when COVID is on or make exceptions to their own rules to respond to food demands or fuel demands or fertilizer demands because some war in some other part of the world has complicated their lives." A video clip of Jaishankar's response to the ‘barb’ was widely shared across social media platforms. “You also have to look today at actually what is changed between India and its neighbours.

Certainly, with Bangladesh and Nepal, I mean today you have a power grid, you have roads which didn't exist a decade ago, you have railways which didn't exist a decade ago, there's usage of waterways. Indian businesses use ports of Bangladesh on a national treatment basis," Jaishankar added.

Highlighting efforts to bolster connectivity between India and its neighboring nations, Jaishankar emphasized significant progress in trade, investments, and travel with Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Maldives. “Today at the connectivity, just the volume of people moving up and down, the volume of the trade which is there, the investments which are there, it's actually a very, very good story to tell.

Not just with Nepal and Bangladesh, with Sri Lanka as well, I would say even with Maldives," the EAM stated. Emphasizing the importance of active