Jaishankar Says Nations Far From Conflicts Pay Price for Wars Not Their Own
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – India External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday warned the world body that violent conflicts continue to undermine international peace and security, while countries far removed from the battlefield are being forced to pay a heavy price.
He said the inability to maintain peace was “not only weakening security, but is also threatening progress, slowing the pace of development in a globalized world,as he spoke at the 81st session of the high level debate at the UN.
EAM added that countries distant from conflicts were also paying the price despite bearing no responsibility for them.
Mr. Jaishankar expressed deep concern over continuing conflicts in the Gulf region and the target of commercial vessels and maritime crews in international waterways, describing such actions as unacceptable.
He said a two-State solution was necessary for lasting peace, on tensions and conflicts in West Asia and the Middle East.
Jaishankar called for restraint, de-escalation, protection of civilians and the uninterrupted flow of energy and commerce.
He called for restraint, de-escalation, protection of civilians and the uninterrupted flow of energy and commerce.
The war in Ukraine was equally concerning as it entered its fifth year, he said.
He echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Jaishankar said the focus must shift from “an endless war” to “ending the war”, adding that India supported initiatives aimed at achieving peace.
Mr. Jaishankar warned that a world continually subjected to threats and pressure was living “on the brink of the abyss”, underlining the need for stability, security and predictability.
He stressed that UN hould have become the prevailing trend, after 8 decades.
EAM noted that “we are witnessing circumstances in which everything is being weaponized.”
He said that from finance and market access to supply chains and technology, a mindset of “hyper-competition” was taking hold with institutions weakening and countries increasingly focusing on de-risking and diversification.
The crises involving food, fuel, fertilizers and financing had made conditions particularly challenging for the Global South, he added.
Mr. Jaishankar described terrorism as a persistent threat to peace and said State-sponsored, cross-border terrorism represented “a direct affront to the global order”.
Governments involved must be held accountable, he said.
He insisted that there could be no weakening of “zero tolerance” towards terrorism.
Minister referred to remarks made during Friday’s session of the General Debate, he accused “a serial practitioner of terrorism” of misrepresenting facts and seeking to normalize terrorism.
“It is for the perpetrator of terrorism to mend its ways,” he said.
On India’s development, Mr. Jaishankar said the country’s progress had advanced the prospects of one-sixth of humanity, highlighted the role of digital public infrastructure in governance and delivery of socioeconomic benefits.
He said India had also supported 600 development projects in 78 countries, spanned clean energy, infrastructure, sustainable agriculture and information technology.
Jaishankar added that the world was moving towards multipolarity and the international order established in 1945 was confronting new realities.
He cautioned that adjustment to that changing world “will not be easy”, argued that civilized dialogue was essential and that a large part of humanity could not be excluded.
EAM invoked the words inscribed on Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the UN:
“There is no path to peace. Peace is the path,” as he concluded his remarks.
