Jaishankar flags energy trade constraints, unstable markets

India's growing concerns about constriction of energy trade, market access and supply chain reliability were highlighted by external affairs minister S Jaishankar at the East Asia Summit in Malaysia on Monday, against the backdrop of strains created by geopolitical disputes, tariffs and trade sanctions.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Jaishankar, who represented India at several meetings on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, said the world community must adhere to zero tolerance for terrorism and step up efforts to resolve conflicts such as those in Gaza and Ukraine, which have jeopardised food security and threatened energy flows.

“Energy trade is increasingly constricted, with resulting market distortions. Principles are applied selectively and what is preached is not necessarily practised,” Jaishankar said.

“There are growing concerns about the reliability of supply chains and access to markets. Technology advancement has become very competitive, the quest for natural resources even more so,” he said, without directly referring to the churn set off by US trade policies.