Jaishankar said geopolitical tensions were creating new challenges for countries, from energy and food security to fertilisers and trade.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the world was entering an “age of flux”, marked by conflicts, uncertainty and tariff volatility, but expressed confidence that India would be able to navigate the “choppy waters” ahead.
Speaking at the fifth Kautilya Economic Conclave, Jaishankar said geopolitical tensions were creating new challenges for countries, from energy and food security to fertilisers and trade.
“This is going to be an age of flux, as you call it. And it is going to be turbulent and volatile, with uncertainties. We are seeing two major conflicts, we are seeing other frictions. As I said, there is the pressure of non-market factors, there is tariff volatility,” he said.
India backs dialogue on Ukraine
Jaishankar said India continued to engage with both Russia and Ukraine and maintained that the conflict could not be resolved on the battlefield.
“From the very start, we have always held that this conflict in Ukraine is unlikely to be resolved in the battlefield,” he said, stressing that “dialogue and diplomacy” remained the best path towards a settlement.
He recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his own visit to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials.
“We still keep in touch with both sides,” Jaishankar said, adding that efforts to promote peace were worth pursuing because of the concerns of the Global South.
He also criticised peace gatherings that exclude Russia, asking: “What is the point of having a gathering … on the Ukraine conflict, where Russia is not there?”
‘Choppy waters’ need careful response
Jaishankar said India had faced major disruptions before, including the Covid pandemic and the impact of global conflicts on energy, food and fertiliser supplies.
“Yes, these are choppy waters,” he said. “We need to factor them into our thinking, plan and respond — that in a sense is the task before us.”
“I am very confident that we will rise to the challenge,” he added.