The Ukraine conflict has left the world divided, as Western nations take aim at Russia at the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting. Which was concluded without a joint declaration in the national capital Delhi. Meanwhile, G-20 foreign ministers meeting in the national capital Delhi without any joint declaration […]
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
The Ukraine conflict has left the world divided, as Western nations take aim at Russia at the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting. Which was concluded without a joint declaration in the national capital Delhi. Meanwhile, the meeting of G-20 foreign ministers concluded in the national capital Delhi without any joint declaration.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar admitted that India was unable to iron out its differences and build a consensus for a joint declaration between the US-led Western and Russia-run bloc of non-Western countries at the end of the two-day event.
Acknowledging that the summit could not be released because of the Ukraine war, Jaishankar said that after the two-day meeting, various issues were included in the ‘Cheers Summary and Outcome’ document.
Foreign ministers’ meeting on the go
Beijing and Moscow objected to two paragraphs of the statement. It was circulated in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in which he apologized to India and accused Western countries of making the G-20 event a ‘farce’.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, ‘His country would like to apologize to India’s host and allies of the countries of the Global South for the indecent behavior of several Western delegations. Western delegations have reduced the work on the G-20 agenda to a farce.
Lavrov had a rare ‘walking’ meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lasting ten minutes. During this, the US Secretary of State urged Russia to rejoin the New START nuclear treaty. However, he claimed Washington’s support for Ukraine ‘until the war is over’.
India’s position in G-20
After the war in Ukraine, economic sanctions have been imposed on Russia with the support of America, which is getting tougher with each passing day. These sanctions have given rise to energy crises and food insecurity, apart from economic plight in the Global South.
Both Western countries and Russia blame each other for this crisis. Many countries have sided with Moscow in the UN on the issue of Ukraine war, some of them are African countries.
Under its presidency, India had invited nine guest countries, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius and the Netherlands, to participate in the G-20 event, some of which called out the US for the growing difficulties in the Global South.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told The Hindu, “We are asking India to be our leader in the Global South so that we can raise our voice and make the West listen to our concerns.”
India as a global leader
The gathering of 20 biggest economic powers of the world has established India as a peace maker in the world. New Delhi used the G-20 meeting to focus on its relations with China and Russia, apart from the West. However, India refrained from clearly stating its stand on issues that have divided the world.
America said that ‘India is ready for a very promising start after getting the G-20 leadership’. At the same time, Russia said that it will support its friendly country India in its initiative to make India a truly multi-polar world.
“We (Russia and India) are united in our commitment to shape a more just and democratic multipolar world order,” Lavrov said in Russian at the World Book Fair in New Delhi.
An editorial in Chinese mouthpiece ‘Global Times’ lauded India for including issues such as climate change, counter-terrorism and food security to promote wider discussion on issues of global importance.
failure of global governance
India should not allow security differences between the West and Russia to cloud or hijack the economic agenda of the G-20. Tension continues between the West and Russia over Ukraine, but India has a responsibility towards the Global South.
Ahead of the G20 leaders’ summit later this year, New Delhi must strive to prevent the event from turning into an arena of new Cold War animosity and make it an opportunity for global cooperation.
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