External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that terrorism remains one of the foremost collective challenges faced by the Global South, alongside climate change, poverty, and the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with Danish newspaper Politiken, the Minister stated, “Of the major collective challenges today, I would place terrorism at the top–alongside climate change, growing poverty, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Global South.”
The term “Global South” broadly refers to developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.
Speaking about the recent escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar said, “It wasn’t a conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. It was a terrorist attack.”
On April 22, at least 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7.
Jaishankar offered a two-fold response to India’s continued crude oil imports from Russia amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying, “Let me split the answer in two. One is about borders, and the other about energy.”
Referring to historical context, the EAM said, “Our borders have been violated by Pakistan in Kashmir ever since our independence in 1947. And what have we seen in the eight decades since then? That large, democratic Europe, to use your own term, has stood side by side with military dictatorships in the region. No one has supported the military regime – and undermined democracy in Pakistan in so many ways – as much as the West.”
He emphasised that India respects sovereignty and internationally recognised borders, adding, “But my worldview and my view of Europe are shaped by my own experiences. You talk about the inviolability of borders – well, why don’t we start with the inviolability of my borders? That’s where my world begins. But we’ve always been told that we had to solve that ourselves.”
On the Russian energy issue, Jaishankar pointed out that Europe, despite its outrage and sanctions, still imports energy from Russia. At the same time, Europe is driving up energy prices for all developing countries, including India.
“Wealthy Europe turned to the Middle East because it had a problem with Russia and offered inflated prices to get oil redirected to Europe. So what happened was that many countries – not just us – could no longer afford it. The major oil companies didn’t even respond to purchase offers because they were too busy selling to Europe,” he said.
“What was the rest of the world supposed to do? Say ‘okay’, we’ll just do without energy because Europeans need it more than us?” he asked.
He added that matters aren’t made easier by the fact that major oil-producing countries like Iran and Venezuela are also subject to Western sanctions.
“We are societies where income levels are 1/120 of Europe’s. For us, energy is a matter of life and death. Just as Europe has every right to make its own choices, you should respect our right to do the same. Let us find our own solutions,” he said.
Speaking on the emerging new world order, Jaishankar said, “To call it a new world order is probably a bit premature, because things are still in flux. But the outlines are beginning to take clearer shape.”
“There are still strong imprints from the previous, or old, order. So it’s not that a new world order has completely displaced the old one. But we are seeing a gradual rebalancing. It began with the economy, and it continues culturally and through new partnerships between countries. This is an evolution we are witnessing. What should global norms be? Who gets to decide?”
He underlined that the world is becoming less Western, more diverse, more global, and significantly more Asian.
“Countries, just like societies, need norms, rules, and platforms where they can meet and cooperate. If you ask me what I do on a daily basis, it’s about finding common ground between countries. If you look at the 20-30 largest economies in the world, they have overall become less Western, more diverse, more global, and significantly more Asian,” he said.
Highlighting the 2008 global financial crisis, Jaishankar stated, “The global financial crisis in 2008 was a turning point because it showed that the West couldn’t handle it alone. So the former G7 and G8 countries became the G20 during that period.”
“Our institutions are lagging behind global realities. When they were founded, the UN had 50 members. How can the same institutions function now with nearly 200 members? Large parts of the world feel they are not part of the decision-making process in the central international organisations,” he said.
The EAM added, “The UN doesn’t really work, because it’s anachronistic – because a few countries block the majority’s desire for change. But then countries will simply find other ways to cooperate. It’s becoming less and less relevant. But politics is like water. It finds a new balance.”
“As I see the emerging world order, we’re heading towards a much more multipolar world. And a world where the importance of the alliances that were part of the previous world order is diminishing. I’m not saying the alliances will disappear, because I don’t believe that. But in Asia, it’s more about cooperation on shared interests rather than entering treaties or writing down rules,” he added.
Jaishankar is on an official visit to the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany from May 19 to 24. Earlier in the day, he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s best wishes. (ANI)
