Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday told the G20 foreign ministers that they may not all “always be of one mind” and have “sharp differences of opinions and views”, but they must “find common ground and provide direction”. He also flagged “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” as essential guiding principles for cooperation. Jaishankar, who was speaking at the opening session of the G20 foreign ministers meeting, said, “This grouping bears an exceptional responsibility. We first came together in the midst of a global crisis and are today, once again, actually confronting multiple ones. These include the impact of the Covid pandemic, concerns of fragile supply chains, the knock-on effects of ongoing conflicts, anxiety of debt crises and the disruption of climate events. In considering these issues, we may not all always be of one mind. In fact, there are some matters of sharp differences of opinions and views. Yet, we must find common ground and provide direction, because that is what the world expects of us.” Underlining that there are both pressing and more systemic challenges that all confront, Jaishankar, who was chairing the meeting, said, “The future of multilateralism depends very much on our ability to strengthen it in a changing world. Food and energy security are immediate anxieties, magnified by recent events. But they do have long-term repercussions and solutions.” Pitching for reforms at the United Nations and other international organisations, he said that the current global architecture is in its eighth decade and the number of members of the UN has quadrupled in this period. “It neither reflects today’s politics, economics, demographics or aspirations. Since 2005, we have heard sentiments for reform being expressed at the highest level. But as we all know, these are not materialised. The reasons are no secret either. The longer we put it off, the more the credibility of multilateralism stands eroded. Global decision-making must be democratised if it has to have a future,” the external affairs minister said. On the agenda for the day’s discussions, which include the challenges of food, fertilisers and fuel security, Jaishankar said, “These are truly make-or-break issues for developing countries. We heard their concerns directly in January this year through the Voice of Global South Summit. Such issues should not be relegated to the periphery of the international discourse. They are, in fact, crucial to the global economy and must be treated as such. Indeed, we urge that they be central to any decision-making. Along with that, the world must also strive for more reliable and resilient supply chains. Recent experience has underlined the risks of being dependent on limited geographies.” Stressing that all G20 countries individually and collectively have an obligation to contribute to international growth and prosperity, he said, “They are implemented through sustainable partnerships and goodwill initiatives. On its part, India has undertaken development projects in 78 countries and has actively encouraged exchanges and capability building. During the Covid pandemic, we made a conscious effort at contributing to global solutions even while looking after our own. Today’s situation demands that we continue to live up to our international responsibilities.” And, in a note of caution, he said, “The G20 must be sensitive to the priorities and economic concerns of all our partners, especially those more vulnerable. We must ensure demand-driven and sustainable development cooperation based on country ownership and transparency. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are essential guiding principles for such cooperation.” Jaishankar called for a collective message affirming their determination to address the complex challenges that the world faces at this juncture.
