External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaking at an event in Delhi (Archives).
New Delhi:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar painted a bleak picture of where the world could be in five years, warning of a “very bleak outlook” given military tensions in West Asia, between Ukraine and Russia and in Southeast Asia, as well as economic challenges and the specter of climate change.
The possibility of such a future “underpins” the need for a stronger India-US relationship, Jaishankar said, as much if not the entire world awaits the outcome of the US presidential election in November, which many believe will be the second coming of Donald Trump.
“I am an optimistic person and generally think of solutions to problems rather than problems arising from solutions. But I would like to say with great sobriety that we are going through an extremely difficult period,” Mr Jaishankar said at an event in Delhi on Tuesday.
“… (and) I have a very bleak forecast for the next five years… you see it happening in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Southeast and East Asia, and the continued impact of COVID, which those of us who have come out of it take for granted… but many have not come out of it yet,” Mr Jaishankar said.
The reference to tensions in the Middle East, or West Asia, was highlighted on Monday by the United States and its European allies, who called on Iran to “stand down” as fears of a new full-scale war grow.
READ | US, European allies call on Iran to end Israeli threats to attack
This follows the Israeli attack on Gaza. Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, have vowed revenge for the killing of the political leader of Hamas and a Hezbollah commander.
India, which is caught between two friendly countries, has advised both sides to exercise restraint and resolve all issues through “dialogue and diplomacy”, Jaishankar's office said in April.
In his remarks today, Mr Jaishankar elaborated on the threats posed by military conflict to the world and warned that this would have implications for economic challenges such as the rising fuel and fertiliser prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.
“The kind of economic challenges that you see in the world… you see more and more countries struggling. Trade is becoming difficult, there's a shortage of foreign exchange… so, you know, disruptions of all kinds,” he said, also citing concerns about increased pirate attacks in the Red Sea by Iran-aligned Houthi militias attacking commercial ships as a “show of solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza.
“What happened in the Red Sea and the climate events… are no longer just news… they are having disruptive consequences globally and sometimes entire regions are actually being rendered dysfunctional.”
#WATCH | Delhi | Asked how he sees the world today, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, “…We are going through an exceptionally difficult period. If I were to give a five-year prognosis, it would be a bleak prognosis. And I think the answers are there, you see what is there… photo.twitter.com/JVgWwetsco
—ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2024
“This is a case for India-US ties… which are not just about treaties (but) about much more…” he said.
However, Mr Jaishankar refused to get into a discussion about the US elections.
“We don't comment on the elections of other countries. The United States will make its judgment (and) we have every confidence, based on the last 20 years, that we can work with the president… whoever he or she is.”
The 2024 U.S. presidential election will see Vice President Kamala Harris, a late pick for the Democrats after President Joe Biden, the first (and controversial) choice, resigned. Ms. Harris will face returning and twice-impeached Donald Trump, the Republican nominee seeking a second term.
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