Jaishankar Urges Diplomacy, Energy Security at Divided G20 Meet as India Holds Key Bilateral Talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for diplomacy over military solutions, secure maritime routes and fairer global trade at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, as international divisions over ongoing conflicts overshadowed discussions on economic security.

Addressing the meeting hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, Jaishankar said military solutions would not resolve global challenges and diplomacy must be given a chance. He urged countries to protect freedom of navigation and end attacks on civilian ships and seafarers under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Jaishankar warned that developing countries were being denied their right to industrialise through market flooding, weaponised supply chains, restricted market access and market distortions. He also cautioned against overlooking terrorism for tactical reasons, calling it a high-risk activity that could eventually harm those who practised it.

Highlighting the disproportionate impact of attacks on shipping, he said the Global South was bearing the consequences through higher costs and disrupted supplies of fuel, food and fertilisers. According to reports, at least 22 Indians, including 14 seafarers, have died since the West Asia war began in February 2026.

Rubio warned that interconnected geopolitical and economic crises threatened energy and food markets, supply chains, trade and maritime security. However, deep disagreements over the wars in Ukraine and Iran, US tariffs, China’s actions in the South China Sea and South Africa’s exclusion meant the meeting was expected to end without a joint communique, with a chairman’s statement instead. A traditional group photograph was cancelled after European diplomats objected to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s participation.

On the sidelines, Jaishankar met Marco Rubio to review India-US cooperation following Rubio’s recent visit to India. He also held talks with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand on expanding trade, energy security and economic resilience, as both countries work towards a comprehensive trade agreement.

The US is scheduled to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Miami on December 14-15. Jaishankar is also attending a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting with the US, Japan and Australia, ahead of a potential leaders’ summit in the Philippines in November. He is scheduled to travel to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from November 1 to 4.