Jaishankar Backs G20 Consensus Bid, Explains Superpower Remark

In Atlanta, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed India's expectation that G20 members will be able to agree on key issues before the December summit. He said on Saturday that India would support any serious effort aimed at reaching such an agreement.

At the end of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting, Jaishankar spoke with reporters from India. He was asked whether the same kind of consensus that emerged at the G20 summit under India's presidency could be expected again.

He replied that the summit in December had not yet come, and that it would be possible to comment once the circumstances of that time were clear. "Obviously, the hope is that the G20 will succeed in creating a shared consensus," he said.

Jaishankar cited BRICS as an example of how agreement can still be reached. Despite varied circumstances and differing levels of participation, he said, the major members of that grouping had been able to adopt a common statement. As the December meeting approaches, he said, efforts will be made to achieve similar understanding in the G20, and India will help in that process.

"International consensus is never easy to achieve, especially at a time when many issues are dividing the world," he remarked. "India nonetheless believes that dialogue and effort can create a shared foundation."

The minister was also asked about his earlier description of the United States as the sole superpower. He clarified that those words were spoken in a different setting, during a meeting with a delegation at the Munich Security Conference. That gathering had no connection with the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.

In Munich, he said, he was addressing analysts and policy experts, whereas in Atlanta the foreign ministers of various nations were present together. For that reason, he argued, the remarks and discussions from the two occasions should not be read as part of one context.

Jaishankar further said that India's role in maintaining communication with different parts of the world was generally appreciated at the G20 gathering. There was a common understanding, he said, that in a partly polarised world, India can speak with all parties. "We are contributing, building bridges and keeping conversations alive," he said.

He also addressed the Quad foreign ministers' meeting held in Atlanta, noting that it was the third such meeting at the foreign minister level this year. Earlier meetings had been held in Delhi and Manila. India, he said, feels the Quad has made commendable progress, and he hopes that its upcoming meetings will focus on defining future direction and expanding its agenda.

Jaishankar added that during the G20 meeting he held bilateral discussions with almost all the countries' representatives. Some of these meetings were held separately, while some involved group discussions with several delegations.