Washington: India on Friday said military solutions will not work in tackling global challenges and diplomacy must be given a chance to address such issues.
Addressing the first plenary session of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also flagged the issue of attacks on seafarers and stressed the need to preserve freedom of navigation and ensure cessation of attacks within the framework of international law, especially UNCLOS.
“Emphasised that in the face of global challenges, military solutions will not work and diplomacy must be given a chance,” Jaishankar said in a post on X, listing out the points he made at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Emphasised that in the face of global challenges, military solutions will not work and diplomacy must be given a chance,” he said in a post on X, listing the points he raised at the meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
His remarks came amid conflicts in several parts of the world, including the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in West Asia.
Jaishankar flags attacks on seafarers, calls for freedom of navigation
Jaishankar stressed the need to preserve freedom of navigation and ensure that attacks on seafarers cease in accordance with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He said the Global South was disproportionately bearing the consequences of attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, which were affecting the availability and cost of fuel, food and fertilisers.
According to the report, at least 22 Indians, including 14 seafarers, have lost their lives since the war began in West Asia in February this year.
The minister also called for resilient and alternative connectivity as countries seek to reduce risks and diversify their supply chains.
Jaishankar warns against weaponising supply chains, overlooking terrorism
Jaishankar said countries’ right to industrialise was being undermined by the flooding of markets, the weaponisation of supply chains, restrictions on market access and market distortions.
“This must cease,” he said, adding to his broader call for more resilient and diversified economic and trade networks.
He also cautioned against overlooking the dangers of terrorism for tactical reasons.
“Tactical calculations should not lead to overlooking the dangers of terrorism. It is a high-risk activity which has come back to bite even the practitioners,” he said.
Rubio warns of interconnected global crises
Opening the two-day G20 discussions, Rubio said the world was at a “moment of choosing” amid mounting economic and geopolitical challenges.
“I would call it a moment of choosing, and I would say not just for my country, the United States of America, but frankly for the world,” he told the gathering.
Rubio said interconnected crises were threatening the foundations of the global economic order, disrupting energy and food markets, supply chains, trade and freedom of navigation. He called on G20 members to work together to address these threats, strengthen economic resilience and safeguard markets.
The meeting also included Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was seated between his counterparts from Mexico and Saudi Arabia.
After his address, Rubio said in a post on X that maritime and food security were central to economic security. He said the US, through its “America First” agenda, was encouraging partners to protect shipping routes, strengthen food security and reduce the economic consequences of geopolitical crises.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the US Department of State said Washington would work with G20 partners to address geopolitical crises contributing to global economic shocks, including threats to freedom of navigation, energy and food security, and supply chains.
Jaishankar to attend Quad ministerial before Commonwealth meeting
The US is scheduled to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami on December 14 and 15.
Jaishankar will also attend a Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with his counterparts from Japan, Australia and the US on the sidelines of the G20 gathering. This will be the second such meeting this year, ahead of a likely leaders’ summit to be hosted by the US in the Philippines next month.
From Atlanta, Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held from November 1 to 4.
