Indian envoy to China rejects comparison with Pakistan on West Asia mediation

Beijing: Dismissing any comparison between India and Pakistan on mediating in the West Asia conflict, India's envoy to China Vikram Doraiswami on Saturday said countries should decide for themselves whether doing so serves their interests.

"I think the comparison, if I might be a little direct, with Pakistan, is a little... a little unfair. I think the economy in the two countries will tell you a lot," he said, responding to a question by a Chinese journalist about India's role in global leadership and Islamabad's attempts to mediate in the Iran-US conflict

Doriaswami was speaking at the World Peace Forum here organised by China Tsinghua University.


"We should look at countries according to what they are and what they are actually doing in the larger global system, " he said, adding that "India's integration with the globe is at a level not matched by most countries".

"This includes the idea of economic integration with European countries, with Asian countries, our willingness to contribute to larger questions of peace and security," he said.

"We're willing to do all of this. The question about mediation that you're talking about, this is one that, you know, it is for individual countries to decide whether that adds value to their larger national position," Doraiswami said.

"We have done our bit of that in the past. I don't see how that, at this point of time and what is already a crowded field, would benefit us in any particular way," he said, as he drew a parallel between the positions taken by India and China on the Iran and Ukraine conflicts.

"As far as I see it, our position in recent crises, both in West Asia or even in East Europe, has been quite similar to that of China," he said

The envoy said he doesn't see China or India "actually stepping forward to offer mediatory services".

Doraiswami earlier took part in a discussion on Protectionism and Global Governance at the forum.