Panama: Energy and food security are perhaps the two most immediate global challenges that the South faces, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, asserting that India will work together with other countries to address these problems. Mr. Jaishankar, who arrived in Panama from Guyana on Monday (April 24), participated in the 4th India-SICA Ministerial meeting here on Tuesday.
The Central American Integration System (SICA) is an economic and political organisation of Central American countries. In his opening remarks at the meeting, Mr. Jaishankar thanked SICA for forging a strong relationship and supporting India at various international and multilateral forums.
Energy and food security are perhaps the two most immediate global challenges that the South faces. But again there are the longer term trends, the priorities which will go beyond food and energy security including those of development, of growth, of trade, of investment, of employment, of poverty deduction. I can assure you that India will be doing more, India is doing more and we would like to see that translated particularly into our particular relationships.
Mr. Jaishankar said India also believes that a substantial expansion of global production of millets has the potential to address food security on a lasting basis.
Not just food security but also nutritional security because it is a good source of iron, vitamins and micronutrients. Millets have been part of our tradition for many centuries and certainly the world would be better served if we were to revive that.
He said a new India that is a digital deliverer, an enthusiast of startups, a pharmacy of the world, a growing manufacturing power, a climate leader and a science and technology partner, seeks to partner with SICA. Mr. Jaishankar also said 2023 will be a “very special year” for India for its G20 presidency.
It is also a year of exceptional responsibility because we take up this responsibility at a time when East-West polarisation is very strong and North-South divides are getting deeper. Our motto for the G20 is ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ and the same spirit we bring to the SICA deliberations.
He said India will work together on addressing energy and food security, climate change, debt and globalisation challenges.
India will be a ready partner in green, digital, health and gender domains. As developing nations, we must stand together on issues of development and growth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Voice of Global South Summit initiative furthered this spirit as India chairs the G20.
After his Panama visit, Mr. Jaishankar landed in Colombia on Wednesday, where he would be meeting several top leaders of the country and reviewing bilateral ties with his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Leyva Duran.
He started his visit to Colombia by meeting the Indian community in the capital Bogota.
Shared with them the transformation underway in India and its global implications. Underlined how the world is recognising the capabilities and contributions of a New India. India’s image in foreign countries is significantly shaped by the community. I will be engaging my Colombian counterparts tomorrow, appreciating how much they have strengthened our standing.
On Monday, Mr. Jaishankar joined President of Guyana Irfaan Ali at the commissioning of an India-made ferry which would enhance connectivity and provide mobility and economic opportunities in the country’s distant hinterlands.
Mr. Jaishankar is on a nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, his first visit as the external affairs minister to these Latin American countries and the Caribbean.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
