MEA hits back at Trump’s statement, points to Pakistan’s history of illegal activities

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement on India's relations with countries like Pakistan and the United States. Regarding US President Trump's recent remarks regarding nuclear testing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "India is fully aware of this issue. He said, 'Covert and illegal nuclear activities have been part of Pakistan's history.'" What does India think about policies focused on nuclear proliferation? Referring to Abdul Qadeer Khan (AQ Khan), the founder and scientist of Pakistan's nuclear program, Jaiswal said, "For decades, the neighboring country's policies have focused on smuggling, export control violations, clandestine partnerships, the AQ Khan network, and nuclear proliferation." He said that India has always drawn the international community's attention to these aspects related to Pakistan. "Currently, there's no information on Trump's visit to India." Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump's statement regarding his visit to India, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, "As far as comments about President Trump's visit to India are concerned, I have nothing to share. When I have something to share, the information will be shared with the media." What statement did Trump make regarding his visit to India? Speaking to media at the White House, Trump said, "His talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi are going very well, and he may visit India soon." Responding to a question, Trump said, "They (India) have largely stopped buying oil from Russia. Modi is a friend of mine, we keep talking, and he has invited me to visit India. We will set a date... Prime Minister Modi is a great man, and I will go to India." What statement did Trump make regarding nuclear weapons? US President Donald Trump has revealed that Pakistan is among the countries actively testing nuclear weapons. He said that this trend in some countries suggests that it has become necessary for the United States to resume its nuclear testing. In an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes, Trump said that countries like Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan are conducting nuclear tests, while the United States is the only country that has suspended testing. Trump said, "Russia is testing, China is also testing, but they don't talk about it. We are an open society, so we talk. When other countries are testing, we have to too." Government Calls Quad Important for the Indo-Pacific Regarding a question about the Quad, a strategic organization comprising Japan, Australia, the United States, and India, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that the four Quad partners view it as an important platform for discussing important issues related to the Indo-Pacific region. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The Quad is making steady progress. We participated in the Quad Ports of the Future Conference in Mumbai on October 29-30. India Maritime Week was a significant event." What did India say on questions related to Afghanistan? The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also made a statement on Afghanistan-related issues. He said, "Recently, the Foreign Minister of Afghanistan visited India. We discussed in detail the development and cooperation between the two countries. External Affairs Minister Dr. Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart also spoke by telephone. He said, "As far as our own embassy, operations, and upgrading our technical mission in Kabul to an embassy are concerned, we are looking at how to approach its functions and responsibilities. Issues such as increasing its capacity are under consideration, and a decision will be taken later."