NE NEWS SERVICE
LONDON, MAY 5
A global answer to the raging COVID-19 pandemic lies in vaccinations and a diversified production line and India will do its part in achieving those goals, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said on Wednesday.
Very good of PM @BorisJohnson to reach out between the G7 sessions. Assured him that Foreign Secretary @DominicRaab and I will take forward the 2030 Roadmap. Committed to delivering on the Modi-Johnson vision of our ties. pic.twitter.com/FX3qahaNFm
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2021
In an update on the various aspects covered in the many “thought-provoking” conversations at the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting in London, Jaishankar highlighted the need for greater transparency at a time when geopolitical changes have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A cordial virtual meeting with FM @moteging of Japan. Appreciate Japan’s strong support for India to meet the current Covid challenge. Discussed intensifying our bilateral engagement in the near future. Also reviewed regional issues in the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/grqIosacOF
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2021
The minister joined the sessions virtually after he had to withdraw from the face-to-face meetings because of possible exposure to coronavirus.
An interactive and thought-provoking G7 FMM concludes. Appreciated the opportunity to participate in its many conversations. Some points made: pic.twitter.com/ucW5MnfrPF
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (Modi Ka Parivar) (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2021
“Geopolitical changes have been accelerated by COVID-related trends. Issues of transparency, reliability and resilience will guide policy choices,” the minister tweeted.
“Vaccination is the only lasting solution to the COVID challenge. A global answer will require diversified production, uninterrupted supply chains and generous resourcing. India will do its part,” he assured.
Some of the other aspects covered during the talks included issues such as countering fake news and strengthening the global climate partnership in the lead up to the UK-hosted COP26 UN summit in Glasgow.
He added: “Open Societies and personal freedoms require careful nurturing. Must be on guard against fake news and digital manipulation.
“India had embraced Green Growth since 2014. Transformation stories include renewable capacity, Ujjwala, LED distribution, forest cover and Jal Jeevan. But higher green ambitions require larger green resources. COP26 will be a test.”
Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson took time out during the G7 sessions at Lancaster House to connect with Jaishankar via videolink.
“Very good of PM Boris Johnson to reach out between the G7 sessions,” the minister tweeted along with an image of his virtual meeting.
“Assured him that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and I will take forward the 2030 Roadmap. Committed to delivering on the Modi-Johnson vision of our ties,” he said.
When reports of members of the Indian delegation testing positive for COVID-19 emerged, Johnson had said he would be connecting with the Indian minister virtually during the day.
“We have a very important relationship with India, with our G7 partners. As I understand it, what’s happened is the individuals concerned they”re all isolating now,” Johnson said.
“I will be seeing the Indian foreign minister later on this afternoon but that will be a Zoom exchange,” he said.
Jaishankar participated in discussions with the other foreign ministers via videolink instead to focus on new ways to ensure fairer access to vaccine stockpiles and increase support for the global vaccine distribution scheme known as COVAX.
Also on Wednesday’s agenda for the G7 talks were topics of media freedom, arbitrary detention and girls’ education.
“A cyber participation at the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. So far, yet so near,” Jaishankar tweeted earlier on Wednesday, along with an image of him joining the discussions from his hotel room.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it deeply regrets the Indian minister was unable to attend in person but that the “strict COVID protocols and daily testing” are in place for the summit to address such cases.
The minister is in the UK at the invitation of UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting as one of the guest ministers along with Australia, India, the Republic of Korea and South Africa, as well as the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as part of Britain’s Indo-Pacific strategy to unite the world’s major democracies.
The Group of Seven ministers are made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US and UK as well as the European Union (EU). They began their talks earlier this week with an agenda set by the UK as the host nation that revolves around addressing threats to global democracy.
This G7 Foreign Ministers summit is the first in-person summit since the pandemic and the first to be hosted at a COVID-secure venue. The protocols in place involve staff and delegates required to complete daily COVID-19 tests throughout the summit prior to entering any of the venues.
China reported the first COVID-19 case in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and since then the deadly disease has become a pandemic, affecting more than 154,513,000 people and over 3,231,000 deaths worldwide.
