External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has painted a bleak picture of the state of the world in the next five years. He warned of a “very grim forecast” given the military tensions in West Asia, between Ukraine and Russia and in Southeast Asia, economic challenges and the threat of climate change.
Jaishankar said the prospect of such a future lays the ground for stronger ties between India and the US as the world awaits the results of the US presidential election in November, which many believe will be the second coming of Donald Trump.
Speaking at an event in Delhi on Tuesday, Jaishankar said, “I am an optimist and I generally think about solutions to problems and not the problems that arise from solutions. But I would say very seriously that we are going through an exceptionally difficult phase.”
Mr Jaishankar said, “… (and) I have a very grim forecast for the next five years… You see what is happening in the Middle East, Ukraine, South East and East Asia, and the impact of Covid continues, which those of us who have come out of it are taking lightly… but many have not come out of it.”
The context of tensions in the Middle East or West Asia was underlined on Monday by the US and its European allies who called on Iran to “back off”, as fears of another full-scale war grow.
Read | US and European allies tell Iran to “stop” threats to attack Israel
The incident comes after Israel’s attack on Gaza. Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah have vowed to avenge the killing of the Hamas political leader and Hezbollah commander.
Caught in a difficult situation between the two friendly nations, India had advised both sides to exercise restraint and resolve all issues through “dialogue and diplomacy”, Mr Jaishankar’s office said in April.
In his remarks today, Mr Jaishankar highlighted the dangers posed to the world by a military conflict and warned that it could result in economic challenges, such as the rise in fuel and fertiliser prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
“The kind of economic challenges you are seeing in the world… you see more and more countries struggling. Trade is getting difficult, there is a shortage of foreign currency… so, you know, there are different kinds of obstacles,” he said. He also expressed concern over rising piracy attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea to “show solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza.
“What was happening in the Red Sea (and) climate events … are no longer just news … they have devastating consequences on a global scale and sometimes entire regions are basically rendered inoperable.”
#Watch | Delhi | Asked how he sees the world today, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, “…we are going through an extraordinarily difficult phase. If I give a 5-year forecast, it will be a grim forecast. And I think the answers are there, you can see what is happening… pic.twitter.com/JVgWwetsco
— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2024
He said, “This makes it a matter of India-US relations… not just about treaties, but much more than that…”
However, Mr Jaishankar declined to discuss the US elections.
“We don’t comment on elections in other countries. The US will make its decision (and) we are confident that based on our experience over the last 20 years, we can work with the president…whoever it is.”
The 2024 US presidential election will feature Vice President Kamala Harris, a late pick for the Democrats since President Joe Biden, the first (and controversial) choice, has stepped down. Ms Harris will face the returning and twice-impeached Republican candidate Donald Trump, who is seeking a second term.
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