Innovative, participative diplomacy can help solving conflicts: Jaishankar

DOHA: Calling for a more innovative and participative diplomacy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said that the general sort of the needle is moving more towards the reality of a negotiation than the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Jaishankar also highlighted the impact of the conflict situations in the Gulf and the Mediterranean region on countries all over, including India, in terms of cost escalation for oil, fertilisers and shipping etc.

Visiting Doha to participate in the Doha Forum at the invitation of Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of State of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman and was addressing a panel along with him and Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

Answering a question about the situation in the Gulf region and the latest in Syria, the External Affairs Minister highlighted how there is a widening of conflict and gave examples of Israel-Iran firing at each other; said how the situation in Red Sea is impacting shipping for Asia, and then, referred to a previous session of journalists who said even when the job is tough, journalists need to do it.

“I think similarly, diplomats of the world have to tell themselves, it's a messy world. It's terrible. There are conflicts, but therefore there's all the more reason for diplomats of the world to step forward,” he asserted.

He also said the era of the 60s and the 70s when the (UN) Security Council or a few Western powers managed (such conflicts) is “behind us” and said, all the countries need to step forward.

“I think this, there is a greater case for more vigorous diplomacy, for more innovative diplomacy, for a more participative diploma. diplomacy, and, and I think more countries need to have the boldness to bypass the West,” the former diplomat turned minister said.

When the anchor asked about India's role vis-a-via Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said, “The general sort of the needle is moving more towards the reality of a negotiation than the continuation of the war.”

Describing how India is walking the talk, by going to Moscow, talking to President (Vladimir) Putin, going to Kyiv, engaging, President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, transparently carrying messages to each others, Jaishankar said, “(we are trying to) find common threads which can be picked up at some point of time when the circumstances are right for it to be developed.”

He also said that India is articulating the sentiments and the interest of the Global South of 125 other countries who have found their fuel cost, their food cost, their inflation, their fertiliser costs impacted by this war.

“And, in the last few weeks and months, I've even seen this sentiment expressed by major European leaders, who are actually telling us, please keep engaging Russia and engaging Ukraine. So we do think that things are moving somewhere in that direction,” he added.

Jaishankar also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president-elect Donald Trump.

Referring to Trump's recent threats to BRICS about imposing 100 per cent tariff if those countries went ahead with BRICS currency, Jaishankar said, “I am not exactly sure what was the trigger for it (Trump's remarks) but we've always said that India has never been for de-dollarisation. Right now, there is no proposal to have a BRICS currency.”

He also explained how countries in BRICS don't have an identical position (on the issue of BRICS currency).

Answering a question if India has a role to play in Russia, China, North Korea and Iran forming an anti-American, anti-westernism axis, Jaishankar said: “Every country has its interests. They agree on some, they disagree on some. Sometimes the same countries work in different combinations in different issues. The reality is much more complicated, much more granular.

“And I caution, don't go for these very sweeping generalities, because they become self fulfilling if you actually accept it. I don't accept it,” he said at the panel discussions as part of the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum on the theme 'The Innovation Imperative.'

As per its website, Doha Forum is a global platform for dialogue, bringing together leaders in policy to discuss critical challenges facing the world, and to build innovative and action-driven networks.

Under the banner ‘Diplomacy, Dialogue, Diversity’, Doha Forum promotes the interchange of ideas and discourse towards policy making and action-oriented recommendations.

“In a world where borders are porous, our challenges and solutions are also interlinked,” it says on the home page.