Friendships not exclusive, particularly in multi-polar world: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said friendships are "not exclusive", particularly in a multi-polar world.

In his address at a book launch here, the minister said India today is positioning itself as a "Vishwa Mitra" and "we seek to be friends with as many as possible".

This obviously generates goodwill and positivity towards India. It is reflected in the growing contribution the country makes to global good and in its closer engagement with the international community, the external affairs minister said, adding that in some ways, this is "diplomacy 101".

He said this at the launch of a book, titled ‘Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners’, written by scholar Sreeram Chaulia.

In his address, Jaishankar underlined that friends are not always black and white, nor will friendship be linear in development.

Friends in the final analysis are "always a work in progress", he added.

The minister said "sometimes, friends have other friends who may not necessarily be ours" and they may, for example, reflect the dilemma of the old world order and the new.

"Friendships are also not exclusive, particularly so in a multi-polar world," Jaishankar asserted.

He also cited India's relations with multiple countries -- bilateral as well as plurilateral.

The United States, Japan and Australia have benefited from the Quad, and they are examples of "overcoming the hesitations of history", Jaishankar said.

He described India's ties with Russia and France as "statements of multi-polarity, ours as much as theirs".