‘Not an era of war’: EAM Jaishankar calls for dialogue amid global conflicts

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has pushed for "dialogue and diplomacy" as the only solution amid multiple ongoing conflicts and reiterated India's stance that this is "not an era of war."

Jaishankar made these remarks on Wednesday (June 10) after a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova-Chamova.

Jaishankar said, "The world is passing through an exceptionally volatile and uncertain period, marked by multiple major conflicts, concerns over economic security, the recent experience

of the pandemic, and the recurring threat of terrorism."

"India has a clear position with respect to all of them. We believe that this is not an era of war. The only solution to these conflicts is dialogue and diplomacy."

Jaishankar also said that, as the voice of the Global South, India has repeatedly highlighted concerns related to energy, food and fertilisers.

"Where economic risks are concerned, the answer lies in supply chain resilience and greater diversification. It is particularly important that maritime trade is neither impeded nor endangered. On behalf of the Global South, India has also repeatedly underlined concerns related to energy, food and fertilisers," he said.

"...the COVID period demonstrated the need for deeper international cooperation," he added.

"As for terrorism, the world must be clear on zero tolerance. On all these issues, there was a meeting of minds between India and Bulgaria," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar is on a two-nation tour of Bulgaria and Finland from June 10 to 11. The visit is aimed at advancing India's engagement with European partners and strengthening bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors.