India’s wheat and sugar supply also discussed at 2+2, post Ukraine conflict

Washington/New Delhi, April 12: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India is pressing for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, while also addressing the humanitarian situation there with the supply of medicines. New Delhi is also in talks for the supply of wheat and sugar to many countries, including through the World Food Program, to mitigate the volatility in food supplies and prices due to the Ukraine conflict, addressing a joint press conference along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and their US counterparts Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EAM Jaishankar also ticked off reporters who asked why India has not condemned Russia for its war on Ukraine. “Thank you for the advice and suggestion. I prefer to do it my way and articulate it my way,” he said, adding that India has made a number of statements on Ukraine in the UN and in the Indian parliament, which state that New Delhi is for dialogue and diplomacy and for urgent cessation of violence and is prepared to contribute in any way towards that. On what India is doing to mitigate the volatility in the world due to the Ukraine war, he said that India is pressing for cessation of violence, and also addressing the humanitarian situation there. “Ukraine is in touch with us for medicines, a shipment of medicines will be delivered very soon,” he said, adding that during the 2+2 talks they also discussed the economic consequences of the conflict. A big concern of the conflict is the impact on energy security, including on rising prices of energy and limited supplies. “It is a legitimate concern of countries to ensure energy security.” To a question on India’s purchase of oil from Russia, the EAM retorted that the reporter should instead focus on Europe’s purchase of energy supplies from Russia. On the issue of food security due to the Ukraine war, he said that the two sides discussed India’s supplying wheat and sugar to countries in need, which was also discussed between PM Modi and President Biden during the virtual summit. “What India could do to stabilize the global situation (regarding food security),” he said, adding that a number of countries are in touch with India for supplies of wheat and sugar following disruption in supplies due to the Ukraine conflict. “A number of countries are discussing with us, including through the World Food Program,” he added. To a media person asking why India was purchasing the S400 missile systems from Russia amid the Ukraine war, the EAM quipped: “It is my day to get advice from the press.” “We draw our conclusions and make our choices and we know how to protect it and advance it.” EAM added that today India has more options on the table that it had earlier, and that India has a substantial defence collaboration with the US today, which was not the case earlier. “The world is changing and we will observe and see how to advance it,” he added. On the energy cooperation, he said that India and US have expanded their energy ties, which was not there earlier. Blinken said that Russia’s aggression on Ukraine had a profound impact on the global food availability and the prices of energy, with significant increase in prices. He said with India the third largest consumer of energy in the world, and with electricity demand to increase by 2030, the most effective way to satisfy the Indian economy is to support New Delhi’s climate goals of renewables and that the US is committed to partnership with India in clean energy transition. “We are committed to helping to make available the technology, the financing to deal with climate change, and to make sure that adequate supplies of energy are reaching Indians,” he said. He said that the US is providing USD 500 million loan to India for solar panels, and helping India to deal with the “Russian impact” on energy and helping India meet its energy needs. On CAATSA sanctions, Blinken said that the US continues to urge against major new weapons transactions with Russia in view of the Ukraine war. He said that India has “a long history of relations with Russia, when we were not able to be a partner to India, and now we are willing and able to be a partner of choice for India”. Austin said the two side are working “on a future system, on how to best support their (India’s) modernization needs, and how to maintain the ability to operate together, and it includes a range of options to make our systems affordable, and be a strong and reliable partner.“ (UNI)