External affairs minister S Jaishankar (PTI photo)
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday delivered a pointed message on global conflicts, terrorism and took a veiled swipe at the United States over its stance on Russian oil while stressing the urgency of multilateral reforms.Addressing the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Jaishankar called out the “double standards” over buying of Russian energy and said, “Apart from jeopardising supplies and logistics, access and cost themselves became pressure points on nations. Double standards are clearly in evidence.” As members of the G20, he stressed, nations have a responsibility to “strengthen stability and give it a more positive direction through dialogue and diplomacy, by firmly combating terrorism, and by appreciating the need for stronger energy and economic security.”Speaking on peace and development, Jaishankar highlighted the impact of ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza, which have exposed the high costs borne by the Global South in terms of energy, food, and fertiliser security.“Apart from jeopardising supplies and logistics, access and cost themselves became pressure points on nations. Double standards are clearly in evidence,” he said, in an unmistakable reference to disparities in how global powers respond to crises. The minister stressed that while peace enables development, threatening development cannot facilitate peace. He warned that making energy and other essentials more uncertain in fragile economies benefits no one and urged nations to move toward dialogue and diplomacy rather than further complicating matters.Jaishankar also pointed out that in any conflict, a handful of countries capable of engaging both sides can play a critical role in achieving and maintaining peace. “Even as we attempt to address complex threats to peace, the value of encouraging a buy-in from those supportive of such goals should be appreciated,” he added.
