New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that the world today is facing several challenges which are impacting people’s lives and the global south has been a particular victim.
He said this while addressing the first India-Namibia joint commission meeting in Windhoek along with Namibian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah on Monday evening.
“Today as we meet, we cannot be oblivious to the world, to the challenges that the international order is facing in different respects and because they do impact the lives of our people, and the global south has been a particular victim, of what has been happening in the world for the last three or four years.
“The health, economic and social challenges posed by the post-pandemic combined with the debt crises with high interest rates, tensed geopolitical situations, besides the ecological, economic and social costs of climate change. I think these have all combined today to really create a very challenging international situation,” Jaishankar said.
“So this is a time, of course, for countries like us to work together, to think together, to cooperate on the international stage. But that is best done by also forging a strong bilateral partnership,” he added.
The external affairs minister expressed hope that “the joint commission would become a platform for ideas, for innovations, for exchanges of skills and technologies. And we will see in a range of areas like pharmaceuticals and health, green and clean energy, because we too are increasingly getting involved in green hydrogen in the digital era.”
Describing the inaugural joint commission as a momentous occasion, Jaishankar said, “Today is a unique and momentous occasion because the joint commission, which would steer forward our relationship, which will obviously review and assess the progress we have made, would come up with new ideas and suggestions. And this process of high-level visits and constant dialogue, which is backed up by a platform, will surely help us to navigate our partnership better in times to come.”
He further added that India-Namibia ties “are forged in our developmental cooperation, in our capacity building programmes and in our political solidarity. And it is important that together we grow, develop and prosper”.
Earlier to this on Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Namibian President Hage Geingob and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to him.
“Thank President @hagegeingob of Namibia for receiving me so warmly. Conveyed the personal greetings of PM @narendramodi,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting.
“Valued his sentiments for our relationship and the vision to taking it forward,” he added.
The minister also briefed Geingob on the productive Joint Commission meeting which was held earlier on Monday and affirmed India’s commitment to deepening the partnership between the two countries further. He also met the country’s Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and discussed several issues related to bilateral cooperation.
According to official sources, the two leaders discussed advancing bilateral ties in energy, green hydrogen, transport and connectivity, digital, pharmaceuticals, food security, science and technology, among others.
Jaishankar also co-chaired the first Joint Commission of Cooperation between India and Namibia with Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Jaishankar, who reached in Namibia on June 4 on a three-day visit.
-Dr. M Shahid Siddiqui (PhD), Follow via Twitter @shahidsiddiqui
