New Delhi : The discussions during the India US 2+2 ministerial here has helped the two countries to strategize on mitigating the volatility and unpredictability that the world is currently experiencing, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.
‘It has helped us today to strategize on mitigating the volatility and unpredictability that the world is currently experiencing. That will be naturally reflected in our policies,’ Jaishankar told reporters addressing a joint news conference with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and their American counterparts Secretary of State Tony Blinken and the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The fourth 2+2, the first under the Biden administration, was held here on Monday.
The discussions have also encouraged the two countries to think together on long-term challenges, especially in the Indo-Pacific. ”It has energized our collaborative endeavours to build what is emerging as a key bilateral relationship of our times,” he said.
Responding to a question, Jaishankar said india is pressing for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. ‘I think part of what we are doing is to press for a cessation of hostilities, which I think everybody would agree would mitigate matters and clearly make the world less unpredictable. India, he said, is working towards mitigating global volatility and unpredictability.
‘While we’re also addressing the humanitarian situation, in fact, we have — the Ukrainians have been in touch with us for — especially for the supply of medicines. We have already provided humanitarian relief to Ukraine to some of the neighbours. And even as we speak, a shipment of medicines is being delivered or will be delivered very soon to Kiev,’ he said.
‘We have discussed the economic consequences as well and we are looking at it ourselves, but we have discussed it as partners,’ he said.
The minister said that one of the big concerns that India and the world has is of energy security, of rising prices, of increasing premiums, of limited supplies. ‘So today you have to understand it is a legitimate concern of countries to ensure their energy security. But an equally big worry, which is emerging, is of food security. There are concerns across geographies of societies who are importing wheat or sugar or other foodstuff out of the conflict region’.
The issue also came up for discussion during the virtual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, about what could India do to stabilize the global economic situation.
‘We are quite willing and, in fact, we have already started responding to the need for greater food supplies, especially wheat, most of all; but to some degree, sugar as well. We have even at this moment a number of countries are discussing with us the possibility of greater food supplies, including the World Food Programme,’ he said.