EAM Jaishankar addresses UNGA, calls Pakistan 'epicentre of global terrorism'

United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Saturday targeted Pakistan, calling it an “epicentre of global terrorism.” Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, EAM Jaishankar asserted that India “exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism", highlighting India's response after the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam in April.

“India has confronted this challenge since Independence, having a neighbour that is an epicentre of global terrorism for decades now. Major international terrorist attacks are traced back to that one country, UN's designated lists of terrorists are replete with its nationals. The most recent example of cross-border barbarism was the murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in April this year. India exercised its right to defend its people against terrorism and brought its organisers and perpetrators to justice,” S. Jaishankar added.

Without naming the United States, he said that “de-risking” has become a “growing compulsion” for nations around the world due to “tariff volatility and uncertain market access".

“When it came to trade, non-market practices gamed rules and regimes. The resulting concentration exposed the world to leveraging. On top of that, we now see tariff volatility and uncertain market access as a result. De-risking is a growing compulsion, whether from limited sources of supply or over-dependence on a particular market,” he noted.

The remarks came a day after India hosted a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN gathering, urging the 10-member bloc of Global South countries to defend the “multilateral trading system.”

“As rising protectionism, tariff volatility and non-tariff barriers impact trade flows, BRICS must defend the multilateral trading system," EAM Jaishankar said on Friday.

US President Donald Trump has threatened BRICS members that he would impose an extra tariff for being part of it, and has separately, on other grounds, imposed total tariffs of 50 per cent on India and Brazil, and 30 per cent on most imports from South Africa.

In a 16-page joint statement after the meeting, the ministers expressed concern over “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions,” such as an indiscriminate rise in tariffs and non-tariff measures.

“They voiced serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules. They cautioned against such practices that risk fragmenting global trade and marginalizing the Global South,” the statement added.

Out of the 50 per cent tariffs imposed on India, 25 per cent additional levies are for buying Russian oil. Bilateral negotiations to reach a trade agreement have resumed after a brief pause.

S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday on the sidelines of UN General Assembly meetings. After the talks, Rubio said that India is of “critical” value to his country and welcomed the ongoing interaction in trade.

EAM Jaishankar also posted on X: "Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas."

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also held discussions and agreed to continue the dialogue.

--IANS

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