G20 Urged to Confront Energy Shortages Hurting Poorer Nations
Atlanta, November 1: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has warned that the politicisation of energy supply flows is “extremely damaging” and that countries of the Global South are paying the heaviest price. He called on the G20 to accept the problem and work to find a way out.
After a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta on Saturday, Jaishankar spoke to Indian journalists and called the session “very useful, frank and dynamic.” According to him, the discussions focused on three major areas: the geopolitical situation, energy and food security, and supply chains.
On energy, Jaishankar presented India’s view. He said distortions in the energy market and the politicisation of energy supply flows are issues whose effects reach every corner of the world. “The heaviest load of energy scarcity is being carried by Global South nations,” he said. “The challenge cannot be overlooked by treating it as a problem for only a handful of countries.”
He said India had argued that such market distortions and politicised energy flows are highly harmful. The Global South is suffering from the shortage, he added, and action needs to be taken. The G20, in his view, should recognise the issue.
Food security was also raised by member countries, Jaishankar said. The discussion, he explained, was not limited to grain supplies. Members also looked at how fertiliser shortages were affecting food production and the farm sector.
According to Jaishankar, part of the fertiliser supply problem is connected with the Black Sea region, and another part with the Gulf and Red Sea regions. The disruption to grain movement is chiefly linked to the Black Sea. He said the G20 had explored possible ways of addressing these problems.
On the geopolitical front, India once more made clear that major international disputes cannot be solved through military power. Jaishankar said the world is grappling with two large conflicts whose consequences extend well beyond the countries directly involved. Diplomacy, he said, is the only way to resolve them, and India’s message was that progress depends on talks, peace and dialogue.
Supply chain diversification was another point India pushed hard. Jaishankar said the world now needs supply networks and manufacturing systems that do not rely excessively on one country or region. He pointed out that the pandemic, military conflicts and climate-related events have shown that too much dependence on a single area can threaten the global economy.
He said it is necessary to develop several production centres and alternative supply routes. He also warned against using global supply arrangements as political or strategic weapons, and said the most effective response to this risk is to create multiple centres of production and supply.
Jaishankar added that India held bilateral meetings with almost all G20 member countries during the gathering. Some talks were held individually, while others took place in groups. He said India’s ability to keep communication open with all sides in a polarised global environment was widely appreciated, and that India continues to contribute to global issues by acting as a link between countries.
He concluded that the meeting was useful from India’s standpoint and that New Delhi had succeeded in conveying its perspective to member countries.