New York:
India is more important in today’s polarized world and is widely seen as the voice of the global South, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said. He claimed that New Delhi always speaks on behalf of many developing countries and emphasizes their pressing issues in international forums.
Jaishankar rounded out the New York leg of his visit to the US as he addressed the high-level UN General Assembly session on Saturday, capping off a frenetic week of whirlwind diplomatic engagements in which he met more than 100 of his colleagues from around the world. world and held several bilateral and multilateral meetings.
“There is no doubt that this UNGA reflects the state of the world, which is particularly polarized at the moment. What the state of the world is actually revealing in a way is that India matters more. We are a bridge, we are a voice, we are a point of view, a channel,” Jaishankar told a group of Indian reporters here as he covered some of the key points of his week-long visit to the UN and the city.
He heads to Washington DC on Sunday for the second leg of his visit to the US.
Mr Jaishankar said that at a time when normal diplomacy is not working so well, India has so many relationships such as the ability to communicate and find points of contact with different countries and regions.
India is today “widely seen” as the voice of the global South, said Mr Jaishankar, adding that there is currently a massive crisis in the global economy where the cost of food and fuel, concerns about fertilizers have led to the debt situation to very deep fears for many countries.
“There is great frustration that these issues are not being heard. They are not being voiced. They are not going up the chain in the global councils,” he said, adding that if anyone is speaking up and expressing these sentiments, it is India and that New Delhi speaks for many of the developing countries.
“I end this week feeling that India really matters more in this polarized world and a lot of that is also due to the Prime Minister’s leadership, his image and what he has done on the global stage,” he said.
Mr Jaishankar said several people spoke to him about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 held in Glasgow last year, as well as some of the recent regional meetings. He stressed that both the landscape and the leadership have made India more important.
Mr. Jaishankar met with his global counterparts in both bilateral and multilateral situations on the sidelines of the high-level session. He participated in group meetings including Quad, BRICS, IBSA, CELAC, CARICOM, NAM countries and the L69 group. He also participated in a trilateral with France, Australia, Indonesia and the UAE.
Another benefit has been the impact of many of India’s initiatives, in particular the Vaccine Maitri, development programs and projects, including those in Ukraine.
There is a feeling among nations that India has been there for the world in times of need and difficulty and this was highlighted at the India@75 special event held earlier in the day, during which UN ambassadors, ministers, heads of agencies and other dignitaries India’s partnership with the UN, its South-South cooperation, its development journey and achievements in the 75th year of its independence.
Mr Jaishankar noted that this year has been particularly challenging in terms of climate events and emergencies, from South Asia to Europe, and said the leadership India has shown on climate issues has been called positive, with countries and partners showing interest in cooperation with India because it was not just about speeches, but also about implementation on the ground.
Stressing that “delivery is Prime Minister Modi’s strength not only at home, but also his image abroad,” he said the International Solar Alliance has more than 100 members, which is building the infrastructure of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient coming and that there is interest in the One Sun One World One Grid idea.
One takeaway from the week is the belief that India is a very important player, contributor and shaper in the climate debates today, the foreign minister said.
When India assumed the presidency of the G20 in December, the issue came up for discussion with many leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Mr Jaishankar said he communicated “very clearly” to all of them that “our aim would be to ensure that the G20 remains cohesive and focused”. Given that the G20 has traditionally had an agenda that is mainly financial, economic, development and social, he said it conveyed that “we would like it to stick to it”. This was a topic that came up to many other G20 foreign ministers and “there was appreciation for that too,” he said.
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