India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took a strong stand on global issues Thursday, pointing out double standards in how the world handles peace and development. Speaking at a G20 Foreign Ministers meeting hosted by South Africa, he stressed that both international peace and global development have taken a hit lately, hitting the Global South hardest.
Jaishankar didn’t name the United States directly, but his comments came amid new US economic moves. Washington slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods, with 25% of it acting as a sanction over India’s buys of Russian oil. Former President Trump has also warned of tougher trade curbs on Russia because of its war in Ukraine.
“Peace can certainly enable development,” Jaishankar told fellow ministers, “but by threatening development, we cannot facilitate peace.” He warned that making energy and other basics more unstable in tough economic times helps nobody. Instead, the world should push toward dialogue and diplomacy, not more roadblocks.
He highlighted how ongoing conflicts, like those in Ukraine and Gaza, have driven up costs for food, fuel, and fertilizers worldwide. These issues disrupt supplies, spike prices, and put real pressure on countries, especially in the Global South. “Double standards are clearly in evidence,” Jaishankar said, criticizing uneven approaches to different crises.
Jaishankar urged the international community to tap into countries that can talk to both sides in conflicts. “In any conflict situation, there will be a few who can engage both sides,” he noted. “Such countries can help achieve peace and keep it going.”
The minister is set to speak at the United Nations General Assembly on September 27, where he’ll likely build on these themes of global peace, development, and fairness for the Global South.
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