Terrorism perennial challenge to be dealt with commitment: Jaishankar in Ireland

External Affairs Minister discusses conflicts, diplomacy, and counterterrorism in address at University College Dublin, highlighting India-Ireland relations.

“Conflicts are a dominating issue today and India has taken a view that differences must be settled through dialogue and diplomacy,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in an address at University College Dublin in Ireland.

Mr., Jaishankar went on to cover a range of foreign policy issues and referenced the June 1985 Air India aircraft terrorist bombing to highlight a shared India-Ireland perspective on counterterrorism.

The External Affairs Minister noted that the Irish village of Ahakista in West Cork commemorates the 329 victims of the Kanishka bombing disaster, which occurred off the coast of Ireland.

“A particular word about conflicts because it is today a very dominating issue where India is concerned; we have always taken the view that differences in this era cannot and should not be settled on the battlefield,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

He was addressing students, academics and members of the diaspora at the leading Irish research institution on the topic of ‘India’s view of the world’ on Thursday (March 6, 2025).

“It is important to have dialogue and diplomacy, to find ways of sitting down and talking, however difficult it is. It's not that we have very specific prescriptions here,” he said.

“Talking about conflict, perhaps a word on countering terrorism would also be appropriate, particularly as a foreign minister of a country which has long been at the receiving end of terrorist efforts.