- 6 minutes ago
During an address at the high-level 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar addressed pressing global concerns, including the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, maritime security, cross-border terrorism, and artificial intelligence. Emphasising that durable peace in the Middle East requires a two-state solution, he highlighted India's ongoing humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people. Stressing that endless war must yield to peace, he expressed grave concern over attacks on commercial shipping across waterways from the Red Sea to the Black Sea, which endanger Indian and global seafarers and disrupt food and energy supplies. Calling out state-sponsored terrorism, he asserted that friendship cannot coexist with terror and reiterated India's commitment to defending itself. Furthermore, he outlined India's vision of artificial intelligence as a transformational driver for human empowerment and partnership with the Global South.
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00:00External Affairs Minister Dr. S.J. Shankar addressing the high-level session in United Nations General Assembly.
00:08He's currently in New York. He's leading the Indian delegation at the 81st session of the UNGA,
00:14where he said that goodwill cannot go with terror.
00:19Amid tensions in West Asia, he urged for peace at UNGA.
00:23He said terror sponsors must mend their way.
00:26And he also went on to call for peace, saying that peace is not just the absence of war.
00:33External Affairs Minister S.J. Shankar invoking Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations General Assembly in New York,
00:40where he delivered that address.
00:42This, remember, is the 81st session of the UNGA, where he said no way to peace.
00:49Peace is the way forward for the entire world.
00:55External Affairs Minister Dr. S.J. Shankar, who is addressing the UNGA,
00:59and he just concluded that address after a series of important meetings.
01:05He delivered that address at the UNGA, where he urged for peace.
01:13And this amid the West Asia conflict, he said peace is the only way forward for the betterment of the
01:21entire globe.
01:22He said there is no way to peace.
01:24Peace is the way that everyone must take, as he invoked Mahatma Gandhi at the United Nations General Assembly.
01:36In fact, as part of this visit, he has also met with several countries' representatives,
01:40including Iranian and Russian foreign ministers.
01:44And he has just concluded that address at the UNGA,
01:51where he has urged the entire globe to take the peace.
01:57Let's listen.
02:00This year, we are witnessing a conflict in the Gulf,
02:05one that is exacerbating an already difficult situation.
02:09We remain deeply concerned over continuing hostilities.
02:14The targeting of commercial shipping and seafarers,
02:19transiting international waterways, is simply unacceptable.
02:22India calls upon all parties to exercise restraint,
02:29de-escalate tensions,
02:31ensure protection of civilians,
02:33and uninterrupted flow of energy and commerce.
02:38Mr. President,
02:40the conflict in Ukraine, now in its fifth year,
02:44is equally concerning.
02:46As Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated,
02:50endless war must give way now to an end to war.
02:55India supports ongoing initiatives to bring peace.
02:59Even as this is underway,
03:02there is an urgent need to address the security of seafarers
03:06and supply of food, grains, and energy.
03:11India is prepared to do everything possible
03:15to ameliorate this situation,
03:18especially with regard to food and energy security.
03:24Tensions and violence also regrettably continue
03:27in West Asia or the Middle East.
03:30We strongly believe that a durable and lasting peace
03:35requires a two-state solution.
03:39In the meanwhile,
03:40India is contributing to humanitarian assistance
03:44and relief efforts for the Palestinian people.
03:47A persistent threat to peace
03:49has been the scourge of terrorism.
03:52That this could be state-sponsored
03:55with cross-border purpose
03:57makes it a direct affront to the global order.
04:03Governments indulging in such practices
04:05must be held accountable.
04:08There must be no dilution
04:10in our zero-tolerance approach towards terrorism.
04:14Its financial aspects, in particular,
04:18should be exposed and should be countered.
04:21Mr. President,
04:23yesterday,
04:24a serial practitioner of terrorism
04:27misrepresented facts before this assembly.
04:32Arguments were invoked
04:33to normalize terrorism
04:35and claim immunity from its consequences.
04:39That will not stand.
04:41Our right to defend ourselves
04:43against terrorism
04:45will be exercised.
04:47Mr. President,
04:49friendship and goodwill
04:51cannot coexist with terrorism.
04:53And understandings
04:55premised on that
04:57will naturally
04:58be called into question.
05:01It is for the perpetrator
05:03of terrorism
05:03to mend its ways.
05:07And let me cut across
05:08to my colleague
05:09Pranay Upadhyay
05:10joining us
05:11on the phone line.
05:12Pranay,
05:12very important message
05:13coming in
05:13from External Affairs Minister
05:15Asha Shankar
05:16urging for peace
05:18and sending out
05:19that message
05:20to the entire world.
05:22You're absolutely right.
05:24In fact,
05:25Dr. Jair Shankar's speech
05:26not only reiterated
05:27what Prime Minister
05:28and Iran
05:28motivates
05:29in his interaction
05:30with the U.S. President
05:31Donald Trump,
05:32with Russian President
05:33Vladimir Putin,
05:34with Iranian President
05:35Masood Pazashkian.
05:36the issue
05:38of Indian seafarers,
05:39how these battle zones
05:40of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
05:42or West Asia conflict,
05:44the ever-expanding scope
05:46and horizon
05:46of this conflict
05:47is how it is jeopardizing
05:49the lives
05:50of Indian seafarers
05:51and those
05:52who are becoming
05:52co-natured
05:53of these conflicts.
05:55So,
05:56Prime Minister
05:56and Modi
05:57highlighted this issue
05:58and in fact,
05:59their talk rejection
05:59from the Forum
06:01of the United Nations
06:01General Assembly
06:02during his speech
06:03also highlighted
06:04the flight
06:05of these Indian seafarers
06:06and in fact,
06:07urged the global community
06:08to address these issues
06:09because this is
06:11not only jeopardizing
06:13the Indian life
06:13or risking the lives
06:15of Indian seafarers
06:16but also,
06:17this highlights
06:18the challenges
06:19and the problems
06:20being faced
06:21by the sea lanes
06:22of communication,
06:23how the international trade
06:24is getting impacted.
06:25On other sides,
06:27you know,
06:27if you see Dr. Dershankar's speech,
06:30you can see
06:31the consistency
06:31of India's stand
06:32as far as the issue
06:33of terrorism is concerned.
06:35Yesterday we heard,
06:36you know,
06:36how blatantly
06:38Pakistani Prime Minister,
06:39you know,
06:40tried putting onus
06:41on India
06:41and in fact,
06:42you know,
06:43tried projecting
06:44an image of,
06:45you know,
06:45victory
06:46at the United Nations
06:47General Assembly
06:48but clearly,
06:50India's external affairs
06:51minister not only
06:52called out Pakistan
06:53for its lead
06:54and its act
06:55of terrorism
06:55but also made
06:56it very clear
06:57the consistent
06:58viewpoint of India
06:59that there cannot
07:00be any compromise
07:02with terrorism
07:03and in fact,
07:04no act of goodwill
07:06or friendship
07:07can be made sustainable
07:09if the other side
07:10is,
07:11you know,
07:11retorting to the tools
07:12of terrorism
07:13and pursuing
07:14and using terrorism
07:16as matters
07:17of their foreign policy.
07:21Can I request you
07:22to stay on with us?
07:23Let's listen
07:24into more excerpts
07:25of what the EAM said.
07:30New challenges
07:31in the maritime domain
07:33have added
07:34to long-standing ones
07:36on land.
07:37There have been
07:38attacks on commercial
07:39shipping and seafarers
07:40in the Gulf
07:41and from the Red Sea
07:43to the Black Sea.
07:44Indian seafarers
07:46have lost their lives
07:48as indeed have others
07:50from other nations.
07:52This is completely
07:54unacceptable.
07:56India has joined
07:57Liberia
07:58and 23 other partners
07:59in an initiative
08:01to rally global
08:03public opinion
08:03against such
08:05unwarranted targeting.
08:06We must ensure
08:08that the safety
08:10and security
08:11of shipping
08:11and seafarers
08:12is never compromised.
08:15Scrupulously
08:16observing international law
08:18is an integral element
08:20of that India world.
08:22And I want to come back
08:24to you especially
08:25on the important message
08:26given out by EAM
08:28on the issue
08:30of seafarers
08:31what Indian seafarers
08:32face during
08:33these turbulent times
08:35and how
08:36any risk
08:37to their lives
08:38is unacceptable.
08:40Absolutely.
08:41You know
08:42as I mentioned
08:43earlier as well
08:44and in fact
08:44as you have heard
08:46Prime Minister Nareen Modi
08:47reiterating and highlighting
08:48this issue
08:48at multiple forums
08:49Dr. Jaisankar
08:51only extended
08:52the same argument
08:53and calling out
08:54the international community
08:55to collaborate
08:56to coordinate
08:56and in fact
08:58he highlighted
08:58the challenge
08:59which all these
09:00battle zones
09:01are posing
09:02for the lives
09:02in safety
09:03of the seafarers
09:04trading community
09:05because they are
09:06the civilians
09:07they are the guardians
09:08of global
09:09trade lines
09:10to see lanes
09:11of communication
09:12and in fact
09:13this clearly highlights
09:15what challenges
09:16being posed
09:18by these
09:19battle zones
09:19by these
09:20battle theaters
09:21to the international trade
09:23and what we are witnessing
09:24is a serious situation
09:26right now
09:27because in the
09:28West Asia crisis
09:29or beat
09:30you know
09:30the battle zone
09:32or the battle theater
09:33of the Red Sea
09:34to Black Sea
09:35many
09:36multiple
09:37you know
09:38incidents happen
09:40involving
09:40lots of life
09:41of Indian seafarers
09:43and in fact
09:44Dr. Jaisankar
09:45mentioned the fact
09:46that how India
09:47is
09:47not only
09:48spearheading
09:49the call
09:50for better
09:51coordination
09:52and
09:52for making
09:55a public opinion
09:56building
09:56and shaping
09:57a public opinion
09:58against such
09:59attacks
09:59because the
10:00commercial vessels
10:00are being attacked
10:02and in fact
10:03this is causing
10:04great disruption
10:05to energy supply
10:06to international trade
10:08and in fact
10:09this is causing
10:09damage to various
10:10economies
10:11including
10:11Indian economy
10:12and that's why
10:13India
10:14which always
10:15solicited
10:15the case
10:16of resolving
10:17issues
10:17through dialogue
10:18and diplomacy
10:19has called upon
10:20international community
10:20from the United Nations
10:21General Assembly
10:22and mentioned
10:23the fact
10:24that how India
10:25is playing a pivotal role
10:26in rallying
10:27public opinion
10:28regarding this issue
10:29and in fact
10:30Dr. Jaisankar
10:31through his engagement
10:32with the DCC country
10:33Gulf
10:34cooperation countries
10:36of the Arabian Peninsula
10:37or the African nations
10:39at every forum
10:41and in every interaction
10:43Dr. Jaisankar
10:44not only highlighted
10:45this issue
10:46but asked
10:47these global leaders
10:48to come forward
10:49step forward
10:50and have
10:51better coordination
10:52on this issue
10:53so that
10:54this can be stopped
10:56or the measures
10:57which are required
10:58to stop
10:59such attacks
11:00on commercial vessels
11:01can be taken
11:03Absolutely
11:04Pranis, stay on
11:05we also have
11:06Rohit Sharma
11:06joining us
11:07on the phone line
11:08Rohit, one of the
11:09biggest headlines
11:09that also came out
11:10of UNGA
11:11was the strong response
11:13given by EAM2
11:15that Pakistani journalist
11:16where he said
11:16that a terrorist country
11:18is asking me
11:19that question
11:19and how he's also
11:21as part of his address
11:23said that
11:24the sponsors of terror
11:25must be punished
11:27in equal manner
11:28they must be called out
11:31Absolutely
11:32I think
11:32you know
11:33again
11:33I don't think he was
11:34again this is my opinion
11:35I don't think he was
11:36responding to that one journalist
11:37I think he was responding
11:39to the Pakistani
11:40Prime Minister
11:41and essentially
11:42saying that
11:43he's a serial
11:44practitioner
11:45of terrorism
11:45and they are the ones
11:47you know
11:48misrepresenting facts
11:49in front of the assembly
11:51again
11:52mincing no words
11:53right
11:53I mean talking about
11:54how they have been
11:56the ones who've
11:56state-sponsored terrorism
11:58again making it
12:00a part of
12:01how they govern
12:01and how they conduct
12:02their foreign policy
12:03and then making it clear
12:05that India has the right
12:05and India will always
12:07defend itself
12:08against terrorism
12:09so basically
12:10coming out
12:11you know
12:11owning the new
12:12role that India
12:13talks about
12:14that being a global
12:15leader of the south
12:16talking about
12:17everything from
12:18you talk about
12:19you know
12:19the war in Ukraine
12:21and Russia
12:22the conflict
12:23that is
12:24that's ongoing
12:25in Iran
12:25talking about
12:26the lives of
12:27seafarers
12:28and asking
12:29that you know
12:30the targeting
12:31of commercial shipping
12:32and seafarers
12:32cannot be done
12:34and it's unacceptable
12:34so I think
12:35a very measured
12:36very important speech
12:38by E.M. Jashankar
12:39hitting all the right
12:41notes
12:41and as I was saying
12:42earlier
12:42embracing
12:43the mantle
12:44of the leader
12:44of the global south
12:47oh yes
12:48absolutely
12:49and that statement
12:50made very clearly
12:51where he said
12:52goodwill and terror
12:53cannot go hand in hand
12:54like you said
12:56strong message
12:57given to Pakistan
12:58and
12:59indirectly
13:00directly
13:01also
13:02the entire world
13:04been told
13:05about
13:07the sponsors
13:08of terror
13:09and how
13:11we need
13:11to have
13:12a very
13:12constructive
13:12approach
13:13to it
13:17exactly
13:17and look
13:18you know
13:19we are talking
13:19in the year
13:20this is the
13:2122th anniversary
13:21of 9-11
13:22you know
13:23one would assume
13:24that the world
13:25would be as
13:26willing to call
13:27out terrorism
13:28there are still
13:29people in the world
13:30countries
13:30leaders
13:31who sort of
13:31hesitate
13:32to talk about it
13:32but Jashankar
13:33you know
13:34clearly targeting
13:35Pakistan
13:35letting the world
13:36know that
13:36they are responsible
13:37for crossbar terrorism
13:38they use
13:40terrorism
13:40as a policy
13:41as a state policy
13:42and if they do
13:43so in future
13:44India is not
13:45going to hold back
13:46India is going
13:47to defend itself
13:47against terrorism
13:48and the brilliant
13:49thing is
13:50you know
13:50one has to go
13:52back and look
13:52at what he said
13:53he said
13:54the essential
13:55thing here is
13:57that these guys
13:58are serial
13:58practitioners
13:59of terrorism
14:00and that is
14:01something big
14:02you know
14:02you're calling
14:02you're basically
14:03not only asking
14:04them about
14:04calling them out
14:05for the penal
14:06government tax
14:06but going
14:07back all
14:08the way
14:08decades
14:08that they
14:09have practiced
14:09terrorism
14:10as a state
14:11policy
14:11and that
14:12India
14:12would never
14:13ever
14:14you know
14:14back down
14:15from
14:16essentially
14:17calling them
14:17out
14:17and again
14:18defending
14:18themselves
14:18against
14:19Pakistan
14:21all right
14:22Rohit and
14:23Pranay
14:23many thanks
14:23for getting
14:24us those
14:24details
14:26let's once
14:27again listen
14:27into excerpts
14:28of what
14:29EAM
14:30Jay Shankar
14:30said
14:33an issue
14:34central to
14:35current global
14:36conversations
14:37is that
14:38of AI
14:38India
14:39hosted the
14:41AI
14:41impact
14:41summit
14:42this
14:43February
14:43gathering
14:45together
14:45the best
14:46minds
14:46on that
14:47subject
14:48we view
14:49AI
14:50as a
14:51transformational
14:52driver
14:52for human
14:54empowerment
14:54economic
14:55prosperity
14:56and population
14:57scale
14:58problem
14:58solving
14:59we believe
15:00in the
15:01right of
15:01each
15:01nation
15:02to shape
15:03its
15:03ecosystem
15:04with the
15:05development
15:07of its
15:08own
15:08models
15:08and
15:09deployment
15:10strategies
15:10consistent
15:11with its
15:12national goals
15:13and priorities
15:14AI
15:15will be
15:16very much
15:17part of
15:18a partnership
15:18agenda
15:19with the
15:20global
15:20salt
15:20result