The agreement between India and Pakistan to cease hostilities was reached after direct talks between the two countries, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said, amid claims by US President Donald Trump that Washington had a role in concluding the ceasefire, PTI news agency reported, quoted by BTA.
Jaishankar also noted that India will again strike terrorists in Pakistan in the event of future terrorist attacks like the one in Pahalgam, hinting that this is the reason why Operation "Shindur" has not ended.
The minister said in an interview with Dutch television NOS that the government clearly expresses the position that "if there is such an attack, there will be a response". Jaishankar is in The Hague as part of his tour of the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany.
"The operation is continuing because there is a clear message in it: if there are actions like the ones we saw on April 22, there will be a response that we will hit the terrorists", he stressed. "If the terrorists are in Pakistan, we will hit them where they are. So there is a point in continuing the operation, but it is not the same as firing at each other", the Indian diplomat noted.
In the early hours of May 7, India carried out precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites as part of Operation Shindur, which was launched in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Following India's actions on May 8, 9 and 10, Pakistan attempted to strike Indian military bases. These attempts provoked a strong reaction from the Indian country.
Indian Foreign Ministry Principal Secretary Vikram Misri announced on May 10 that India and Pakistan had agreed to immediately cease all shelling and military action on land, air and sea.
Jaishankar noted in his interview with Dutch television that the agreement to cease hostilities had been ratified by Delhi and Islamabad.
"When two countries are involved in a conflict, it is normal for other countries around the world to reach out and try to show their concern in some way. But the ceasefire and military action was agreed directly between India and Pakistan," Jaishankar noted. "We have made one thing clear to everyone who spoke to us - not just the US but everyone else. We have stated that if the Pakistanis want to stop fighting, they should tell us. We need to hear that from them. Their general should called our general and said so. And that's exactly what happened," the Indian foreign minister explained.
After the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Trump repeatedly claimed credit for it and said he had played a mediating role in the "truce" between the two countries.
Jaishankar indicated that India was ready to talk to Pakistan about returning the illegally occupied part of Kashmir to Delhi by Islamabad, as well as on issues related to terrorism.
Jaishankar also said that economic growth and security are interdependent. "Our country was facing much more formidable security challenges than you (Europeans). That is why we had to prioritize security. There is no choice between security and economic prosperity. You realize that today these are two sides of the same coin," the Indian foreign minister concluded.