NEW YORK, NY-External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said the United States’ lack of sensitivity to India’s concerns about terrorism emanating from Pakistan is creating a problem for Washington-New Delhi relations.

Jaishankar said India has faced terrorism from a neighboring country as part of a deliberate policy for many decades, making the issue particularly important for New Delhi.

“Perhaps there are very few countries which have been subjected to the kind of terrorism that we have from a neighbor as part of a deliberate conscious policy over many, many decades,” he said.

“Now, if something which matters so deeply to us, there isn’t enough understanding or appreciation or empathy of that, I think that creates a problem,” he said.

“If one of my primary concerns is not fully appreciated by my partner, then clearly there is an impact of that on the relationship,” he said.

Jaishankar made the comments during an event here while discussing factors affecting India-US relations. He said that besides trade, a lack of US sensitivity to India’s concerns over terrorism was another factor affecting the relationship.

Although he did not name Pakistan directly, Jaishankar’s reference to terrorism from “a neighbor” was in the context of India’s longstanding concerns over terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

His comments also amounted to criticism of US President Donald Trump’s closer relations with Pakistan, which Jaishankar said did not sufficiently take into account India’s concerns over terrorism. (IANS)