India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar held discussions on regional and global issues, with focus on the Ukraine situation, in bilateral meetings with his US and Russian counterparts, Antony Blinken and and Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bali. Jaishankar also met French foreign minister Catherine Colonna.
Talks with Blinken focused on global energy and food security concerns which, the US secretary of state said, dramatically “exacerbated by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine”. While New Delhi hasn’t condemned Russia’s actions, Blinken described India as a great partner and Jaishankar spoke about greater understanding in ties.
Blinken referred to a UN report that has found that 71 million more people are now in poverty as a result of the “aggression”. “I think what we’ve heard today already is a strong chorus from around the world - not just the US - about the need for this aggression to end so that we can actually focus on the challenges that are affecting people in their lives,” he said referring to the Russian action.
“But in all of this, India is a great partner for the US. We’re working together on virtually every single one of these issues, and I look forward to pursuing the conversation that we’ve been engaged in for the last 18 months,” Blinken said. Jaishankar discussed global and regional issues with Blinken. “Our relationship today allows us to approach a range of challenges with greater understanding and openness,” he said.
In a brief meeting with Lavrov, Jaishankar discussed “priority issues” of the bilateral agenda, as well as topical international and regional problems including, according to a Russian readout, the situation in Ukraine. The ministers reaffirmed the mutual commitment to further expansion of the Russian-Indian contacts at all levels, said the Russian embassy in a statement.
“Discussed bilateral matters of mutual interest. Also exchanged views on contemporary regional and international issues including the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan,” tweeted Jaishankar on his meeting with Lavrov.
