India can choose a friend, not neighbour: Finance Minister Sitharaman on ties with US

Apr 23, 2022

Washington DC (USA), April 23 (ANI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on April 22 (IST), commented on India-US ties and pointed at the country’s growing tensions with neighbouring states as she said ‘you can choose a friend but not a neighbour.’ Her comments came in light of India’s purchase of weapons and oil from Russia, which has been facing sanctions over the Ukraine war. Addressing a Press Conference in Washington alongside Indian envoy to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Sitharaman said, “Every bettering of ties with the US, understand a friend’s geography-our northern borders under tension. India wants to be a friend but if you also want to be a friend, the friend shouldn’t be weakened. Taking calibrated stance due to geography.”