Nicosia:
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stressed today that India intends to address the issue of affordability and accessibility of energy, food grains and fertilizers “very strongly” during its G20 presidency as the economies of the South have been affected.
India formally assumed the presidency of the G20 on December 1. The next summit of G20 leaders at the level of heads of state and government is scheduled for September 9-10 next year in New Delhi.
Speaking at a business event, S. Jaishankar, who is on his first official visit to Cyprus as India and Cyprus celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, noted that the efficiency and delivery of global supply chains is a common concern for all countries in the world today.
Today, the affordability and accessibility of energy, nutritional grains and fertilizers “is not just our concern … it is a bigger concern in the South. And it is certainly a concern that we took on during the G20 presidency, which we on December 1,” he said.
The conflict in Ukraine has shut down farming and agricultural exports on which much of the world depends. Inflation has risen as a result of the deficit, with staples such as vegetable oil and sugar rising by more than 50 percent. The war has also led to a sharp rise in energy prices and significant volatility in energy markets.
S Jaishankar said India is also working towards using the G20 presidency to tackle the climate change issue.
He noted that the issue of climate action is a common concern around the world and that over the past few years, he said, “every one of us has made it clear that this is not a hypothetical threat. This is not something we said once would happen.” day in the future … I think it (the issue of climate change) is a growing concern for fragile topographies”.
S Jaishankar said that as a country that is home to 17 percent of the world’s population, India today contributes about 5 percent of global emissions, but “our commitment to tackling climate change is 100 percent”.
“Not only have we led by massively expanding our renewables at home, one of the big initiatives we’re currently working on is to use the G20 presidency to move forward, which is to advocate the lifestyle change,” he said.
S Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi also strongly believes that changing lifestyles would make a big difference to the environment.
The minister said India has also been a leader in two international initiatives – the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
At a time when global pressures are moving the world away from the Paris climate pledges and away from the 2030 Sustainable Development Commitments agenda, India remains true to both.
“Among the G20 countries, we are on track to deliver on time what we agreed in the Paris agreement,” he said.
S Jaishankar said there are seven areas of cooperation that India and Cyprus should explore mutually.
“One is, of course, the financial world… because Cyprus is a major route for financial flows to India. And if you look at an economy that’s going to grow at six-and-a-half per cent plus… we’re a partner of growing relevance,” he said.
The second area is shipping, Jaishankar said, as India is committed to transforming the country not only into a stronger manufacturing power, but also into a more competitive agricultural exporter.
“So there will be a lot more product going out of India, and given the growth rate I expect before you come to India,” he said.
The third area of cooperation is tourism. “The coming wave will be Indian tourists,” said S Jaishankar.
The fourth area of cooperation is the knowledge economy.
“My fifth point is that we’re going to have to promote a culture of mobility. In a world where there’s demand, there’s not necessarily going to be a demographic advantage. So, how do we balance demographics and demand? I think this is going to be a big challenge.
“Today we are negotiating mobility and migration agreements with some members of the European Union. We have done this successfully with Portugal, Denmark, France and Germany…what I want to emphasize is that India today is a source of talent and skills And in a world of globalized and knowledge-driven economy, I think those flows are something we need to address,” said S Jaishankar.
S Jaishankar said that given how comfortable India and Cyprus are with each other, it is also worth cooperating in a third country, possibly in Africa, or perhaps in other parts of the world, where both New Delhi and Nicosia have some historical presence.
And finally, said the minister, he would like to emphasize that the Mediterranean is a region of increasing interest to India.
“As the foreign minister of a country that is globalizing very rapidly and whose footprints, interests and influence will grow with time… And as it does… this (Mediterranean) is a region where more of India will surely And when that happens, and as it happens for us, the relationship with Cyprus is something that will be an anchor in that regard,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)
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