Atlanta, Nov 1 (IANS) India urged the G20 to pursue diplomatic solutions to major conflicts and address disruptions to food, energy and supply chains, as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar outlined discussions with Russia, Ukraine and Europe to protect civilian shipping and restore Black Sea grain exports.
Speaking to a group of Indian reporters in Atlanta on Saturday after the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, EAM Jaishankar said India was coordinating its efforts with the United States. He also called for more geographically diverse production networks and expressed hope that the grouping could find common ground before its December summit.
India’s message across the discussions was that conflicts were imposing costs beyond the countries directly involved, particularly on the Global South. Diplomacy, secure supplies and reduced dependence on any single production centre were among its priorities.
“Endless wars must give way to end the war,” he said.
EAM Jaishankar described the Atlanta meeting as productive, open and animated. Its three sessions covered the geopolitical situation, energy and food security, and supply chains. The first two were held on Friday, followed by the supply chain discussion on Saturday.
On geopolitics, he said two major conflicts were having global ramifications. India had stressed that there were no military solutions and that a diplomatic pathway had to be found.
India was itself actively engaged in that effort, he said. Other ministers had commented on its role, including publicly.
Giving details of the discussions concerning the Ukraine conflict, EAM Jaishankar said India had been engaging Russia, Europe and Ukraine on three issues: protecting civilian ships and seafarers, restoring grain exports, and preventing attacks involving energy.
“We’ve had discussions with Russia. We’ve had discussions with Europe,” he said.
The first objective was to prevent attacks on civilian shipping and those working aboard the vessels. The second was to find a way to restore grain flows from Russia and Ukraine, both major exporters to global markets.
Those flows had fallen sharply in the Black Sea, he said. Restoring them was a particular concern for the Global South because its countries accounted for much of the grain purchases.
The energy issue was more difficult because the parties differed over what protection would cover.
“Non-attack on energy, non-attack on energy is probably the most complicated piece because it means different things to the different players,” EAM Jaishankar said.
For some, energy infrastructure meant refineries. For others, it meant electricity grids. Ships transporting fuel raised additional issues. India was trying to bring the parties together to address these questions.
He outlined contacts at several levels. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin. EAM Jaishankar had travelled to Moscow and Kyiv and said he had discussed it again with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Atlanta.
India remained in touch with Ukraine and was coordinating with Washington because the Americans had their own peace mediation initiative. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was broadly aware of the effort, he said.
EAM Jaishankar declined to disclose the detailed state of the negotiations.
On the wider energy discussion, he said India had warned against distortions in energy markets and the politicisation of energy flows. Such developments were harmful, with countries in the Global South bearing the brunt of shortages.
India’s position was that action was needed and that the G20 should recognise the problem.
Food security also featured prominently. Ministers discussed both interruptions to grain shipments and the knock-on effects of fertiliser shortages.
EAM Jaishankar linked the fertiliser problem partly to the Black Sea and partly to the Gulf and Red Sea. The grain issue was more closely associated with the Black Sea. Ministers considered what could be done to address the disruptions.
On supply chains, India called for more diversified production and manufacturing so that the world would not depend excessively on a single geography.
He cited the pandemic as an example of how concentrated supply networks could be disrupted. Conflicts and climate events presented further risks.
India also warned against the temptation to weaponise supply chains. Establishing multiple production centres was the best way to address that risk, he said.
Alongside the formal sessions, EAM Jaishankar held numerous bilateral discussions, many of them one-to-one, as well as meetings in smaller groups.
He said there was a general appreciation of India’s ability to engage different sides in a polarised world and contribute by maintaining communication and bridging divisions.
Asked about the absence of a consensus statement comparable to the one achieved during India’s G20 presidency, he said the grouping had not yet reached the leaders’ summit stage.
The December summit remained ahead, and India hoped the G20 would produce common ground. An agreement was possible if an effort was made, he said.
EAM Jaishankar cited BRICS, where key participants had agreed on a common statement despite a different context and a different set of countries. He expected efforts towards consensus to intensify closer to December and said India would support them.
The Quad foreign ministers also met in Atlanta on Saturday morning. It was their third meeting this year, following discussions in New Delhi and Manila.
EAM Jaishankar said the ministers believed they had advanced the Quad’s work. They hoped future engagement would set directions and allow consideration of an expanded agenda.
Responding separately to a question about earlier remarks concerning the United States, he said those comments had been made to a Munich Security Conference delegation in a different setting.
That audience comprised analysts and policymakers, whereas the Atlanta gathering brought together foreign ministers.
“So I think what you say depends on what the event is,” he said.
The G20 is a forum for international economic cooperation comprising major advanced and emerging economies, the European Union and the African Union. India hosted its leaders’ summit in New Delhi in 2023, when members adopted a consensus declaration.
The Quad comprises India, the United States, Japan and Australia. Foreign ministers’ meetings provide a forum to review that work and discuss the grouping’s future direction.
–IANS
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