World is changing, G20 itself is actually its best statement, says Dr S Jaishankar

The world is changing, and the G20 itself is actually the best statement of it, which is today viewed as the premier global forum, according to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Dr S Jaishankar said, “Over the last many years, especially maybe over the last decade, perhaps a little bit more…the relative economic weight of countries have changed, the relative political confidence of countries have changed. The relationships especially of the major powers and the middle powers have changed”.

“So if you looked at it earlier on it was like very tight groupings and you let us say, particularly in the Western world, a very strong alliance structure,” he said.

Dr S Jaishankar pointed out that today, there are many more independent countries that are independent at a global level, a regional level, or the neighbourhood level.

“I think the world is changing and the G20 itself is actually the best statement of it…there was a time after all, we left everything to the G7 today the fact that you have G20. I mean, G20 is today seen as the premier global forum. After all, just think of the last year. Compare the G20 meeting to anything else that has happened, a NATO meeting I don’t know SCO meeting BRICS meeting Quad meeting a UN meeting. Nothing has evoked the kind of attention and focus that a G20 meeting has because the world recognises today that this gathering has very exceptional importance,” Dr S Jaishankar said.

On being asked if the Russia-China alliance is creating a bigger impact on other countries, he added that the world of today is a much more multipolar and nuanced place.

“So, I would say do not see the world very starkly in terms of black and white and this camp and that camp. I am not saying that countries do not have their partialities and their relationships they do. But I think the world is a much more nuanced place. It is much more multipolar, there many more variables,” the foreign affairs minister said.

(with inputs from ANI)