India believes that cooperation, not competition should be the basis of international relations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday while noting that a world order already in transition has been further complicated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While addressing on 'India and Argentina in the New World Order: Dialogue among Indian and Argentine Think Tanks', Jaishankar said the two countries are agricultural powerhouses in their respective regions and cooperation in this area can extend beyond increasing exports and market access to each other's products, to collaboration in edible oils, agricultural machinery and fertilisers.
Argentina can be an important partner for India's energy security, especially in the oil and gas sector, Jaishankar said.
With Argentina joining the International Solar Alliance in 2019, an important first step was taken for cooperation in renewable energy, he said.
The large reserves of minerals, including strategic minerals like lithium in Argentina, complements the large appetite for metals and minerals across various sectors in India, including crucial ones like e-vehicles, Jaishankar said.
"We are living through an unprecedented and devastating global crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as countries continue to grapple with its health, economic and other effects, a world order already in transition has been further complicated," he said.
"We believe that cooperation, and not competition should be the basis of international relations," Jaishankar said.
India's response to the current global uncertainty is reflected in the vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (or self-reliant India), articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
"This is a vision of 'a self-reliant India which is also a reliable friend for the world'. It highlights collaboration and complementarities in an environment of global recovery and reform," Jaishankar said.
It envisages the harmonising of domestic production and consumption with global supply chains as well as promotion of international trade and commerce, he said.
