'G20 is not arena for power politics': Jaishankar on claims over India leaning towards US

Refuting claims that New Delhi is leaning more towards Washington lately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that G20 is not the arena for power politics.

Jaishankar said that today India is identified as a democratic, pluralistic and developing country.

In an interview with ANI, Jaishankar said, “I think a lot of countries identify with India as a developing country. A lot of countries identify India as a democracy. Many identify with India saying ‘Okay, it’s a pluralistic country’. We see many institutional cultural similarities, so different people in the world identify with us. G20 is not the arena for power politics”.

“Diplomacy and international relations is a very competitive exercise. But even in diplomacy, there are occasions when you are competitive there. Occasions when you are cooperative. G20 is very much a collaborative forum,” Jaishankar said.

The EAM said that in G20, even countries who differ profoundly on many issues, find something that can bring them together.

“It is even countries who differ profoundly on many other issues, but their history, if you look at it in G20 is to find something which brings them together. So we are trying to develop an agenda that if you look at resources for green development. For example, if you look at dealing with sustainable growth, if you’re looking at plastics, if you’re looking at bio-fuels, if you’re looking at educational access at nutrition. These should not be and I don’t think these are political issues. So what India’s strategic calculations and adjustments may be, I think it’s a different subject”.

Speaking on the upcoming bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, Jaishankar said that both countries would look forward to building up on the basis of a “very strong” State visit of PM Modi to the US.

“We have had a very strong state visit by the Prime Minister to the United States, strong in terms of the outcomes and the results of that visit. So my understanding is right now, both systems, the Indian system and the American system are busy working that through and trying to implement a lot of what was agreed to in June this year. So I think this would give an occasion for the leaders to take stock,” he said.

#WATCH | When asked what on the bilateral level is going to be on the table & what could be on the agenda during President Biden’s visit, EAM Dr S Jaishnkar says, “Well, we have had a very strong state visit by Prime Minister Modi to the United States. Strong in terms of the… pic.twitter.com/4NwrdZ9Aoc

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2023

Additionally, Jaishankar credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s changed attitude at international fora, a reason for India finding its place at the high table of diplomacy.

He said, “It is a different world, a different India. It is a different Prime Minister. It is a different government. And that is why you have all that you haven’t seen in the past.”

Speaking on India taking up the voice of the Global South to G20, the minister said that no other presidency had aimed at getting developing countries together.

“No other G-20 presidency has tried to get together developing countries who are not on the table and say–please come, sit with us, tell us what are your concerns. And we will distil those concerns and place them before the G-20. That is a unique exercise,” the foreign affairs minister said.

Jaishankar said that India has a special responsibility in this changing world scenario.

“I see it more for India as a responsibility, that we have the responsibility today in a very difficult world. How do you bring people together? How do you make everybody understand that we all have a bigger responsibility and therefore please, can we kind of get our act together here and do what is right by the world,” he said.

#WATCH | On the G20 Summit, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says “Today the expectations of the world are very high in terms of what the G20 is able to produce, and produce in terms of meeting the challenges of the world…The world is waiting. Today, I see it more for India as a… pic.twitter.com/tje2AtXgeC

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2023

The External Affairs minister said he hoped that the G20 nations would understand their responsibilities to other countries.

“India has a reputation of being a constructive player. Someone who bridges, divides, who kind of somewhere helps to fix problems. I am confident that every one of the G20 coming to Delhi will understand the responsibility that they bear. That the other 180 countries of the world are looking to them to set directions and that they cannot afford to fail them,” he said.

#WATCH | When asked if the Global South countries see India as a credible voice, EAM Dr. S Jaishankar says, “There have been G20 Summits before, no other G20 presidency has made an effort to get together the developing countries who are not on the table and say–please come, sit… pic.twitter.com/mFByy1Tuhw

— ANI (@ANI) September 6, 2023

The minister said that the participation of every citizen of the country in some way in the summit was assuring.

“One of the big pluses of the G20 is really how much more interested the people of India, especially the young people of India have got foreign policy and they need it because look, this is a globalized era,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of the G20 summit being overshadowed by the presence of the American President, the minister assured that everything would go smoothly.

“We are India. We know how to handle the world. Believe me, especially in the last ten years we have shown how we can handle the world,” Jaishankar said.

With inputs from ANI