World

Jaishankar Urges Diversified Supply Chains and De‑Politicisation of Energy Markets at G20

By Aastha Jha

At the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, India’s external affairs minister S. Jaishankar called for reducing political interference in energy markets and for diversifying global supply chains, arguing that disruptions are disproportionately affecting developing countries. He said the meeting covered geopolitical conflicts, energy and food security, and resilient supply chains. "Look, there are big conflicts today, two major conflicts which are having global ramifications," he told ANI, adding that "there are no military solutions; we have to find a diplomatic pathway." Regarding energy security, Jaishankar warned that disruptions in fuel distribution harm developing economies and described the politicisation of energy flows as "very harmful," noting that the Global South was bearing the brunt of shortages and that action was needed. He also highlighted risks to food security, citing grain shipment disruptions through the Black Sea and fertiliser shortages linked to tensions in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. In the concluding session on supply chains, he urged wider diversification of manufacturing and production across countries, saying that more diversified supply chains are needed. On X, he said securing supply chains is central to the global economy’s well‑being and called on the G20 to promote the "right to industrialise" and resist "predatory practices." He added that "diversification and de‑risking, including in connectivity, is the key to supply chain resilience, threatened by pandemics, conflicts, climate events and mishaps," and urged the group to work toward the "de‑politicisation of markets" and prevent concentration of production and resources in a few geographies. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who hosted the meeting, also stressed the need to secure critical trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el‑Mandeb, and to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals. Jaishankar also attended a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting with Rubio, and met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the Ukraine conflict, the Gulf situation and multilateral issues.