G20 Sidelines: Jaishankar and Kallas Weigh Global Conflicts

On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The meeting centred on conflicts that are shaking the global order.

What stood out was the focus on two flashpoints: the war in Ukraine and the tensions in the Gulf. Jaishankar said in a post on X that he had discussed both with Kallas.

The latest contact between the two came on October 25, when they spoke by phone to coordinate diplomatic positions. Global issues, including the conflict in the Gulf region, formed part of that conversation.

At the first plenary session of the G20 meeting, Kallas spoke about the crisis created by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict. She described these developments as a serious risk to energy and food supplies, trade and freedom of navigation.

Kallas also said she had called in Atlanta for a system guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. She confirmed that the EU opposes tolls and duties on international shipping routes. The EU's top diplomat added that energy security and resilient supply chains are vital for global economic stability.

Jaishankar, addressing the same session, repeated India's position that diplomacy should be given a real chance in times of global crisis. He argued that military solutions would not resolve the world's challenges.

He also raised concern that the Global South was paying an unfair price for attacks on shipping. In his post on X, he said these attacks were putting the supply and cost of fuel, food and fertilisers at risk for developing nations.

He concluded by calling for an urgent end to attacks on shipping and the protection of freedom of navigation, within international law and the framework of UNCLOS.