India's position at world stage seemed assured but the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged the country's standing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.
Delivering the fourth Ramnath Goenka memorial lecture, he also said the Simla agreement of 1972 resulted in a revanchist Pakistan continuing problems in Jammu and Kashmir.
In his address, Jaishankar touched upon a variety of issues while giving a run down of India's external engagement over the last few decades.
"If the world is different (today), we need to think, talk and engage accordingly. Falling back is unlikely to help," he said, adding "purposeful pursuit of national interest is shifting global dynamics."
Giving a historical perspective to geopolitical issues, Jaishankar said, "For years India's position on the world state seemed assured, but the 1962 conflict with China significantly damaged India's standing."
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