Globalisation cannot be reversed, but it must be navigated with greater resilience, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday, underlining that India is building its own strengths and establishing trusted partnerships. Jaishankar made these remarks during a discussion on ‘The Continental Corridors: Who Connects the Heartland?’ at the Raisina Dialogue’s Middle East edition in Abu Dhabi.
The panel also included Mehdi Jomaa, former prime minister of Tunisia; Rizwan Soomar, CEO and Managing Director for DP World; and Armida van Rij, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London. Speaking at the forum, Jaishankar said that competition had intensified, new chokepoints have emerged, and the willingness to leverage advantages has grown. His comments come amid a volatile situation in West Asia, with vessels coming under repeated attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime chokepoint, which has been under strain since the US-Iran war.
“Globalisation cannot be reversed, but it must be navigated with greater resilience,” Jaishankar said. Referring to the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), he said it is already shaping regional thinking on connectivity.
“As the global landscape evolves, India is building its own strengths and establishing trusted partnerships,” Jaishankar said.
IMEC is a planned multi-modal trade, energy, and digital connectivity network announced in September 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.
The main aim of IMEC is to foster economic development by stimulating connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.
Jaishankar arrived in the UAE on Wednesday for a three-day official visit to review progress in bilateral ties.
On Wednesday, the external affairs minister called for “urgent” reform of multilateral institutions to reflect the changing global order, saying stronger cooperation among smaller groups of countries could support the process.