In Sofia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has advocated for "dialogue and diplomacy" as the only viable solution amidst ongoing multiple conflicts, reiterating India's position that "this is not an era of war." Jaishankar made these remarks on Wednesday following his meeting with Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova-Chamova.
Jaishankar stated that "the world is passing through an exceptionally volatile and uncertain future, including multiple major conflicts, concerns about economic security, recent experience of the pandemic, and recurring threat of terrorism." He added, "India has a clear position in respect of all of them. We believe that this is not an era of war. The only solution to this conflict is dialogue and diplomacy."
India as Voice of Global South
Jaishankar also noted that as the voice of the Global South, India has repeatedly underlined concerns regarding energy, food, and fertilizers. "Where economic risks are concerned, the answer is in supply chain resilience and in further diversification. It is particularly important that maritime trade is neither impeded nor endangered. On behalf of the Global South, India has also repeatedly underlined concerns of energy, food and fertilizers," he said.
He further remarked that the COVID-19 period demonstrated the need for deeper international cooperation. "As for terrorism, the world must be clear on zero tolerance. On all these issues, there was a meeting of minds between India and Bulgaria," Jaishankar informed.
Two-Nation Tour
Jaishankar is on a two-nation tour of Bulgaria and Finland from June 10-11. This visit aims to advance India's engagement with European partners and strengthen bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors.
