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Jaishankar On Passport Seva Prog Version 2.0

Will Soon Embark On Passport Seva Prog Version 2.0: Jaishankar

By LokMarg 24th June 2023

India will soon embark on the second phase of the Passport Seva Programme (PSP-Version 2.0), which includes new and upgraded e-passports, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on the occasion of Passport Seva Divas.

Jaishankar called on passport-issuing authorities in India and abroad to join him in renewing the pledge to provide passport and related services to people in a “timely, reliable, accessible, transparent and efficient manner.”
“We will soon be embarking on Passport Seva Programme (PSP) Version 2.0, including new and upgraded e-passports,” Jaishankar said in his message on Passport Seva Kendra.

He further stated, “In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of enhancing the ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens, these initiatives will usher in a new paradigm of ‘EASE”: E: Enhanced passport services to citizens, using a digital eco-system A: Artificial Intelligence-powered service delivery S: Smoother overseas travel using chip-enabled e-passports E: Enhanced data security.”

Jaishankar in his message stated, “I would like to call on all our passport issuing authorities in India and abroad to join me in renewing our pledge to provide passport and related services to citizens in a timely, reliable, accessible, transparent and efficient manner.”

While sharing Jaishankar’s message on Twitter, the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “Here is a message from EAM @DrSJaishankar, as we observe the Passport Seva Divas today. #TeamMEA reaffirms its commitment to provide passport and related services to citizens in a timely, reliable, accessible, transparent and efficient manner.”

Jaishankar said it was a matter of pleasure to felicitate all passport-issuing authorities in India and abroad and their colleagues from the Central Passport Organization on the occasion of the Passport Seva Divas 2023. He noted that this day is an occasion to take stock of what has been achieved and to reaffirm India’s resolve to strive to attain the highest standards in the delivery of passport services.

EAM Jaishankar said that Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) after the COVID-19 pandemic rose to address the surge in demand for passport-related services by increasing the number of daily appointments and organising special Drives over the weekends. He noted that the ministry processed a record 13.32 million passports and miscellaneous services in 2022, marking a rise of 63 per cent from 2021.

In his message, Jaishankar stated that Passport Seva Programme (PSP) has contributed significantly towards the Indian government’s goal of a ‘Digital India.’ He spoke about his visits to Passport Seva Kendras in several states.

Jaishankar noted that similar visits have been made by other ministers and senior officials of MEA. He further said, “These visits have enabled us to build a congruence between the levels of policy and operational governance. There will be no slowing down of such efforts in future as well.”

“PSP has significantly contributed towards the Government’s goal of a Digital India’, with milestones such as mPassport Seva Mobile App, mPassport Police App, integration of PSP with DigiLocker, and the ‘apply from anywhere’ scheme,” Jaishankar said in his message.

He further added, “While in 2014, there were 77 Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in the country, this number has increased 7-fold and stands at 523 today. In the context of POPSKS, I would like to acknowledge the role of the Department of Posts and state police authorities as esteemed partners.” (ANI)

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Damage Done To Trust Is Immense When Nation Violates Deal: Jaishankar

By LokMarg 12th May 2023

While not naming China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said when nations disregard their legal obligations or violate long-standing agreements, the damage done to “trust and confidence is immense”.

He also invoked the debt crisis in countries along the Indian Ocean to take a veiled dig at China.
“When nations disregard their legal obligations or violate long-standing agreements, as we have seen, the damage to trust and confidence is immense. It is therefore essential that all of us take the long view of our cooperation, rather than a tactical one of our interests,” Jaishankar said, addressing the 6th Indian Ocean Conference in Dhaka.

Raising the “unsustainable debt”, the EAM added, “A significant shared concern through the Indian Ocean is that of unsustainable debt generated by unviable projects. There are lessons from the last two decades that we ignore at our peril. If we encourage opaque lending practices, exorbitant ventures and price points that are unrelated to the market, these are bound to bite us back, sooner rather than later.”

He stated that connectivity is a “particularly crucial issue” for all of the countries as the era of imperialism disrupts the natural linkages of the continent and creates regional silos to serve its own ends.

The EAM stated further that in many cases, the “hinterland was disadvantaged to the benefit of the coastal areas”.

“Building back in the post-colonial era is a long, painful and arduous task,” Jaishankar noted, adding, “It is still very much a work in progress. How to restore, indeed enhance flows between distinct regions is today of the utmost priority. For a nation like India, this means a land connection to South East Asia. And a multi-modal one to the Gulf and beyond. Central Asia offers its own distinct challenges due to obstacles in between.”

He added, “Collectively, the more we work on facilitating smooth and effective connectivity, the better off we all are. And obviously, we need to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity while doing so. Let me, therefore, underline that from India’s perspective, efficient and effective connectivity to ASEAN in particular will be a game-changer. We accord this the utmost priority.”

At the event, Jaishankar also praised Bangladesh for coming out with its Indo-Pacific outlook and joining a number of countries in articulating its thinking on the subject. “Indo-Pacific is a reality and a statement of contemporary globalisation,” he added.

EAM stated the UNCLOS should be respected, terming Bangladesh a “successful developing economy”. (ANI)

Multilateralism Is Getting Weakened By UN’s Resistance To Reform: Jaishankar

By LokMarg 30th April 2023

While delivering his remarks at the MIREX, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India has always been a staunch votary of multilateralism. India believes that this is fundamental to the maintenance of global order.

“The challenge however is the resistance to reforming multilateralism particularly the working of the United Nations and its bodies. The longer this carries on, the weaker multilateralism will become,” Jaishankar said.
“The growth of multilateralism and plurilateral. More countries are going to find arrangements among themselves on pressing issues when they find that the United Nations cannot rise to a challenge,” he said firmly.

He said that India is overall a nation that is deeply committed to promoting collective solutions for global good.

“Our Presidency of the G20 this year is devoted to focusing on the real challenges to Global Development and Global growth,” Jaishankar added.

For the first time in 2015, Prime Minister Modi articulated a comprehensive view that spanned the entirety of the Indian Ocean and its Islands. These subsequently became the building block for the Indo-Pacific vision that emerged thereafter. To the north, India has been similarly pursuing a strategy of connecting to Central Asia more effectively and this has taken the form of structured engagements across multiple domains, Jaishankar said.

“These concentric circles of priority give you a conceptual sense of Indian diplomacy and one that we have pursued very assiduously over the last decade. But at a higher level, we are also practising the approach of engaging all significant centres of power, such multi-alignment reflects the reality of multipolarity,” he added.

“When India looks at other regions be it Africa, the Pacific or Latin America much of what is happening can be explained as the emergence of India’s potential global footprint. In many cases, it results from autonomous forces, such as business or mobility. In others, it is part of a more considered strategy of deeper engagement. As an illustration, in recent years, we have opened 18 new embassies in Africa alone. Our development partnership today covers 78 countries and is reflected in almost 600 projects globally.” (ANI)

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Another Flight Carrying 231 Indians From Sudan Reaches Delhi

By LokMarg 29th April 2023

Another flight carrying 231 Indian passengers evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan reached New Delhi on Saturday.

The Indian evacuees shouted slogans like “Bharat Mata ki jai,” and “Vande Mataram” and also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for rescuing them from Sudan under Operation Kaveri.
One of the Indian passengers shared the tough humanitarian crisis faced by them in Sudan. “It has become very difficult to stay in Sudan due to ongoing conflict. There is a shortage of food and drinking water, moreover, there are continuous bombings, and rockets are being fired. None of us were coming out of our houses. The food canteen was bombed. It is very difficult to flee also, travelling in the vehicle is also not safe, they can bomb buses too,” said an Indian electrician from Buxar, Bihar evacuated from Sudan.

He lauded Operation Kaveri and said that his evacuation from Sudan was like “re-birth” as he had lost hope to survive. “If it had not been PM Modi and EAM Jaishankar none of the Indians could have come here alive. From the deep of my heart, I want to thank them. Bharat Mata ki jai, Modiji Zindabad,” he added.

He also praised the Indian Army which aided their safe transit from Port Sudan to Jeddah. “When I saw them at Port Jeddah, we felt secure and knew that we will reach India alive. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat,” he added.

Meanwhile, a little girl named Aiysha evacuated from Sudan also shared her experience and thanked the Indian Government. “I feel relaxed. The situation in Sudan was ‘boom, boom, boom.’ I was scared, and so was my Mom and Dad. Thank You, Indian Government for supporting and helping us” she said.

“#OperationKaveri moves further. 231 Indian reach home safely as another flight reaches New Delhi,” tweeted Jaishankar.

“I have been staying in Sudan for the last 15 years. This is the first time we faced such a dire situation. It was very scary, they launched a rocket at my house. We requested Indian Embassy to evacuate us. They helped us and we went to Port Sudan and Indian Navy carried us safely. Navy officers were very helpful. When we reached Jeddah, we got good air service. Indian Government supported us in the time of the need, we are very happy and thankful to the government,” said Mohammed Iqbal Hussain, project engineer in a pharmaceutical company in Sudan.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Garud Commandos carried out a daring, overnight operation to air-lift stranded Indians despite the airstrip in Sudan’s Wadi Seidna having no navigational approach, aids or fuel, and landing lights (that are required to guide an aircraft landing at night).

On the night of April 27, 28, 2023, the IAF C-130J aircraft rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Seidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum, Sudan, the IAF said in a statement.

Hussain said that situation in Sudan is not going to normalize soon. “It will take very long and now Khartoum is finished, they are going back 20 years. They cannot reconstruct like that, bearing heavy losses,” he added.

“I am feeling very relaxed after coming back to India, was under trauma for the last 14 days and was very scared due to my little girl. Even our houses were not safe, were always in constant fear that bullets can hit us from anywhere, were doubting whether we will be able to meet our family. I would like to thank Government of India from the core of my heart because they supported us in such dire conditions,” said another Indian evacuee.

On Friday, Mos MEA V Muraleedharan informed that so far, 2,100 Indians have arrived in Jeddah, as part of ‘Operation Kaveri’.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces. Even though there is a 72-hour ceasefire, there have been allegations of violence.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country. (ANI)

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Operation Kaveri: First Batch Of Stranded Indians Leave Sudan

By LokMarg 25th April 2023

Indians stranded in Sudan have departed from the conflict-torn country in the first phase of ‘Operation Kaveri’, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

The third Saryu-class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy, INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departed from Port Sudan for Jeddah.
Taking to Twitter, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi wrote, “First batch of stranded Indians leave Sudan under #OperationKaveri. INS Sumedha with 278 people onboard departs Port Sudan for Jeddah.”

As the fighting between the Sudanese Army and paramilitary groups intensified in the capital Khartoum, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed on Monday that its ‘Operation Kaveri’ to evacuate its citizens from battle-torn Sudan is underway and about 500 Indians had reached Port Sudan.

India has launched “Operation Kaveri” to bring back stranded Indians from the war-torn Sudan.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “Operation Kaveri gets underway to bring back our citizens stranded in Sudan. About 500 Indians have reached Port Sudan. More on their way. Our ships and aircraft are set to bring them back home. Committed to assisting all our brethren in Sudan.”

Previously, France Embassy in India informed that their country has evacuated some Indians along with citizens of 27 other countries as part of its evacuation mission from violence-hit Sudan.

Earlier, on Saturday, Saudi Arabia said it has evacuated 66 citizens of “brotherly and friendly” foreign countries that included a few Indian nationals from the conflict-hit nation.

The evacuation came days after Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan.

“In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdom’s Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the Kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials,” Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry statement said.

Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. There are reports of violence even amid a 72-hour ceasefire.

Earlier, Jaishankar had on April 20 met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and discussed the developments in Sudan.

“We had a very good meeting. Most of our meeting was on the Sudan situation. We also discussed the G20, and Ukraine conflict, but essentially it was about Sudan,” Jaishankar told ANI.

Jaishankar said that the Indian government is in continuous touch with its citizens stuck in Sudan.

Fighting has been raging between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The conflict began since a coup in 2021 between Sudan’s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. (ANI)

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EAM Pays Homage To Gandhi In Panama City

By LokMarg 25th April 2023

Before beginning his visit to Panamas, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Cinco de Mayo square in Panama City.

“Began my visit by paying homage to Gandhi ji at the Cinco de Mayo square in Panama City. Pleased to meet those working for the National Civil Protection System @Sinaproc_Panama and Indian community members. They are the living bridge between our nations,” Jaishankar tweeted.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday arrived in Panama City for a two-day visit. Jaishankar was received by Panama’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Vladimir Francos.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Jaishankar stated, “Arrived in Panama City. Thank Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs @VladimirFrancoS for the warm reception. Look forward to a packed bilateral and multilateral agenda.”

During his visit, Jaishankar will be calling on the top leadership. He will be hosted by Panama’s Foreign Minister Janaina Tewaney Mencomo. During this visit, the India-SICA Foreign Ministerial Meeting will also be convened wherein Jaishankar will meet representatives of the eight-country Central American Integration System (SICA).

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar, while speaking at the inauguration of the Ocean-going Passenger-cum-Cargo Ferry, MV Ma Lisha, in Guyana said the ferry is a testimony of the close friendship between the two nations. He was on a visit to Guyana from April 21-24.

After his visit to Panama, the EAM on April 25 will embark on a Colombia visit where he would be meeting several top representatives of the Government, business and civil society. His Colombia visit would be the first Foreign Ministerial level visit to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs said in its release.

Jaishankar and Colombia’s counterpart Alvaro Leyva Duran will review the bilateral ties. Following his visit to Colombia, Jaishankar will head to the Dominican Republic, according to an MEA release.

The visit to the Dominican Republic is the highest-level visit from India since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1999. Jaishankar’s visit takes place after the establishment of India’s resident Embassy in Santo Domingo in 2022.

Apart from calling on the country’s political leadership, EAM will be holding discussions with Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez. The two leaders will formally inaugurate the Indian resident mission. EAM is also expected to deliver a talk at the Dominican Republic Foreign Ministry. (ANI)

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Safe Evacuation Of Indians From Sudan Days After PMO Meet

By LokMarg 23rd April 2023

Some Indian nationals were evacuated among 66 citizens from 12 nations from the conflict-hit Sudan to Saudi Arabia.

The evacuation came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan.
Saudi Arabia ministry, in a statement, announced the “safe arrival” of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals representing the following nationalities Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina. Faso.

Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. There are reports of violence even amid a 72-hour ceasefire.

The statement read, “In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdoms Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the citizens of the Kingdom who were evacuated from the Republic of Sudan as well as several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials, who arrived in an evacuation operation carried out by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with the support of various branches of the armed forces.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan via video-conferencing on Friday.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with a specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout the country.

The Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the passing away of an Indian national who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet last week.

Prime Minister Modi instructed all relevant officials to remain vigilant, closely monitoring developments and continuously evaluating the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan and extending them all possible assistance. The Prime Minister further directed the preparation of contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape and the viability of various options.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining close communication with neighbouring countries in the region, as well as those with significant numbers of citizens in Sudan.

Earlier, Jaishankar had a meeting on April 20 met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and discussed the developments in Sudan.

“We had a very good meeting. Most of our meeting was on the Sudan situation. We also discussed the G20, and Ukraine conflict, but essentially it was about Sudan,” Jaishankar told ANI.

Jaishankar said that the Indian government is in continuous touch with its citizens stuck in Sudan.

“Our team in Delhi is in continuous touch with the Indians in Sudan, advising them, saying we know it’s very difficult for everybody but keep calm and don’t take unnecessary risk. I hope that the efforts will yield something very soon,” the EAM said.

Fighting has been raging between forces loyal to Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

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Jaishankar Doesn’t Understand China Threat: Rahul

By LokMarg 5th March 2023

Attacking the NDA government at the Centre, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar “does not understand the China threat,” adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that “nobody has entered Indian territory” is an invitation to the Chinese that they can do it again.

In a conversation with members of the Indian Journalists’ Association in London, the Wayanad MP also said that he supports Indian foreign policy and doesn’t have a huge disagreement with it with regard to India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
“As far as Indian foreign policy is concerned, I support the Indian foreign policy and I am okay with it. I don’t have a huge disagreement with it,” he said when asked a hypothetical question that if China or Pakistan invaded India and since India hadn’t taken a position on the Russia-Ukraine war, it could also be ignored by the World if an invasion into India happened.

Gandhi said, “With regards to an invasion, we have already been invaded. We have got 2000 square km of our territory that is in the hands of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Prime Minister himself has stated that nobody has entered India, not a single inch of land has been taken and this destroyed our negotiation position because our negotiators are being asked what’s the fuss about.”

“Your Prime Minister says that no land has been taken. So that’s one aspect of it. The other aspect which I keep saying is India needs to be very, very careful with what the Chinese are doing at the border. The Chinese are acting in a hostile manner, in an aggressive manner and we need to be very very careful and I have been stating that again and again, I don’t think the penny has dropped in the government. I think there is a risk as you say,” added Gandhi.

Speaking about Congress’s China policy, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress’s policy was that they would not allow anyone to enter Indian territory.

“The Congress party’s policy on China is very clear, we do not accept anybody entering our territory and pushing us around and bullying us. It doesn’t matter who they are, that’s not acceptable to us and what has happened is that the Chinese entered our territory, killed our soldiers and the prime minister has denied it,” he said.

“That’s the problem. The idea, we have a relationship with the United States and we have a partnership with them and we have a shred democratic free idea. I think there is a coercive idea on a planet and there is a democratic idea on a planet and I think a democratic planet needs to be strengthened. But you will not strengthen the democratic idea unless you start to fundamentally think about things like production. The huge amount of inequality that is erupting in the West and India is a threat to the democratic idea. We have to think about that. We have to have a strategy for that and that’s not on the table,” he added.

When asked about how India should deal with military threats, the Congress leader said, “You have to deal with military threats militarily. But you have to understand the nature of the threat and you have to respond to the nature of the threat. I had one conversation with the Foreign Minister in my view he doesn’t understand the threat. The government is not understanding the actual threat from China. The Prime Minister stating that nobody has entered our territory demonstrates that he does not understand the threat because the message to China with that statement is you can do it again,” added Rahul Gandhi in an interaction at the Indian Journalists Association in London.

Earlier, hitting out at Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the government over China’s aggression on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, Jaishankar said that it is not the Congress leader but Prime Minister Narendra Modi who sent the Army to the Line of Actual Control as a countermeasure to troop deployment by China and the opposition party should have honesty to look at what happened in 1962.

“When did that area actually come under Chinese control? They (Congress) must have some problem understanding words beginning with ‘C’. I think they are deliberately misrepresenting the situation. The Chinese first came there in 1958 and the Chinese captured it in October 1962. Now you are going to blame the Modi government in 2023 for a bridge which the Chinese captured in 1962 and you don’t have the honesty to say that it is where it happened,” said Dr Jaishankar in an interview to ANI.

“Rajiv Gandhi went to Beijing in 1988…signed agreements in 1993 and 1996. I do not think signing those agreements was wrong. This is not a political point I am making. I think those agreements were signed at that time because we needed to stabilise the border. And they did, stabilise the border,” said Jaishankar.

When asked that Rahul Gandhi thought S Jaishankar was insufficient. Jaishankar said that he was always open to listen. “I think he said this somewhere in a public meeting. It is probably in the context of China. All I can say in my defence is I have been the longest-serving ambassador in China. I have been dealing with a lot of these border issues for a very long time. I am not suggesting that I am necessarily the most knowledgeable person, but I would have a fairly good self-opinion of my understanding of what is up there. If he has superior knowledge and wisdom on China, I am always willing to listen. As I said, for me life is a learning process. If that is a possibility, I have never closed my mind to anything however improbable that may be,” said Jaishankar.

The External Affairs Minister stressed that when other countries’ demands are not reasonable, the government will not be able to come to an agreement.

Asked about the Congress party’s allegation that the Modi government is defensive and reactive on the China issue, Jaishankar dismissed the claims saying there is currently the largest peacetime deployment along the China border.

“If I would have to sum up this China thing, please do not buy this narrative that somewhere the government is on the defensive…somewhere we are being accommodative. I ask people if we were being accommodative who sent the Indian Army to the LAC (Line of Actual Control). Rahul Gandhi did not send them. Narendra Modi sent them. We have today the largest peacetime deployment in our history on the China border. We are keeping troops there at a huge cost with great effort. We have increased our infrastructure spending on the border five times in this government. Now tell me who is the defensive and accommodative person? Who is actually telling the truth? Who is depicting things accurately? Who is playing footsie with history?”,” added Jaishankar in an interview to ANI.

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that S Jaishankar did not know much about foreign policy and needed to learn a little bit more, the External Affairs Minister took a veiled dig and said he is willing to listen to the Wayanad MP if he has “superior knowledge and wisdom” on China. (ANI)

Blinken, Jaishankar Discuss Ways To Mitigate Global Impacts Of Russia-Ukraine War

By LokMarg 2nd March 2023

United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken had discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on measures to mitigate the global impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meet, Blinken spoke to Jaishankar and shared his views on tackling global and regional challenges.
United States Department of State spokesperson Edward Ned Price said that Blinken met with Jaishankar to discuss how India and the US can expand technology and defence cooperation and increase food energy, and health security.

Ned Price also informed that Blinken and Jaishankar spoke about efforts to elevate and expand strategic technology and defence industrial cooperation and promote food, energy, and global health security. They also held discussions to promote clean energy transition, counternarcotics cooperation and women’s economic empowerment.

Secretary Blinken and Minister Jaishankar also discussed how to mitigate the global impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States and India’s cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, the successful launch of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), and regional issues said Ned Price.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had urged his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to reverse Moscow’s “irreversible decision” and return to implementing New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Blinken said, “I urged Russia to reverse its irresponsible decision and return to implementing the New START, which places verifiable limits on the nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Russian Federation. Mutual compliance is in the interest of both our countries. It’s also what people worldwide expect from us as nuclear powers.”

He said that every country continues to bear the cost of Russia’s aggression.

“Every country continues to bear the cost of Russia’s aggression; a war that President Putin can end tomorrow if he chooses to do so. We worked hard to prevent it,” said Blinken in New Delhi.

Blinken also reaffirmed Washington’s support for Ukraine’s peace proposal that maintains the country’s territorial integrity.

“The US stands ready to support Ukraine through diplomacy to end the war on this basis President Putin however has demonstrated zero interest in engaging saying that there is nothing to talk about,” Blinken said.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the West is trying to divide the geopolitical picture into individual episodes.

“The West is trying to divide the geopolitical picture into individual episodes but India, addressed by PM Modi, gave the assessment of the situation across the globe in general terms and I completely share it,” Lavrov said after holding a brief meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Lavrov said that Russia has tried to resolve the issues on many occasions, and Russia has publicly stated that it has never refused to listen to suggestions to find political solutions.(ANI)

G20: Ukraine Conflict Is Affecting The Global South, Says Jaishankar

By LokMarg 2nd March 2023

Noting that there were divergences on issues concerning the Ukraine conflict in the G20 document, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the chair summary outlined the concerns of the Global South and “it is just on two paragraphs that were not able to get everybody on the same page.”

“The bulk of the issues which concern especially the Global South, the developing countries. There was a considerable meeting of minds
.
And a considerable meeting of mindshas been captured by the outcome document. If we had a perfect meeting of minds of all issues and captured it fully then obviously it would have been a collective statement,” he said while confirming that a chair’s summary and outcome document was adopted.
Emphasizing the issue of bringing G20 members on the same page, Jaishankar said, “In terms of the outcome document, the bulk… 95 per cent for say in terms of paragraph agreement and it is just on two paragraphs that were not able to get everybody on the same page or same para.”

Highlighting that there were “issues concerning the Ukraine conflict on which there were divergences” EAM said, “The bulk of issues, we were able to get an outcome document. There was a chair summary because there were differences on the Ukraine issue which could not reconcile various parties who held differing positions.”

Jaishankar noted that the impact of the conflict on food security and the cost of fertilizer were among the key areas for the Indian presidency.

“Is a conflict impacting Global South? Of course, it is. It is not something new. In fact, India has been saying this very strongly for pretty much close to a year that this is affecting… In fact today, in my own session, I actually used the word saying for much of the Global South this is a make-or-break issue that the cost of fuel, the cost of food, the cost of fertilizer…The availability of fertilizer which means next year’s food. These are all extremely pressing issues,” he said while

Pointing to the fact that some countries are struggling with debt post-pandemic, EAM said, “If you see, some of the countries who were already struggling with debt, who were already impacted by the pandemic. For them, the knock-on effects of this conflict coming on top of that. It is a matter of very very deep concern for us. Which is why we kept on the focus in this meeting very much on the concerns of the Global South. We feel these are the most vulnerable countries. It is not credible to talk about the future of the global economy and the multilateral order. If we are not able to really address and focus on the issues of those who are most in need. So that is been broadly the approach.,”

Multilateralism is in crisis today in terms of preventing future wars and terrorism,” said Jaishankar, while briefing reports about the discussions that took place during the meetings.

“The G20 meetings discussed the challenges of Russia and Ukraine issues and PM Modi advised us to realise ‘what unites us and what divides us … These meetings have been affected by geopolitical tensions. PM Modi urged that we had a responsibility for those who were not in the room,” said the EAM.

“There were five important points in the Prime Minister’s address. One, he noted that multilateralism is in crisis today. And, in terms of preventing future wars and fostering international cooperation which were two primary tasks it had failed. The second point he made was that it is important to give a voice to the Global South because world was sinking … a lot of countries actually regressing on their sustainable goals pathway were witnessing challenging debts,” he added.

Referring to PM Modi’s address, he said, “The third point he made was that the discussions which we were beginning at that time. He recognised that these discussions were affected by the geopolitical tensions of the day. But asked us all as foreign ministers to remember that we had a responsibility for those who are not in the room. And therefore, he urged that we draw inspiration from India’s civilisation ethos and focus not on what divides us but on what unites us.”

He reiterated PM Modi’s concerns about the challenges that the participating countries should address which included the impact of the pandemic, the lives lost in natural disasters, the breakdown of global supply chains, debt and financial crisis.

He said that G20 group have individually and collectively an obligation to contribute to international growth and prosperity, adding that these can be implemented through sustainable partnerships and goodwill initiatives.

“On its part, India has undertaken development projects in 78 countries and has actively encouraged exchanges and capability building. During the Covid pandemic, we made a conscious effort at contributing to global solutions even while looking after our own. Today’s situation demands that we continue to live up to our international responsibilities. The G20 must be sensitive to all our partners’ priorities and economic concerns, especially those more vulnerable. We must ensure demand-driven and sustainable development cooperation based on country ownership and transparency. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are essential guiding principles for such cooperation,” added Jaishankar.(ANI)