External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar made indirect remarks on United States President Donald Trump in view of recent tariffs on Indian imports and steep fee on fresh H-1B visa petitions, among other policy changes. “A few months, weeks and tweets make a difference,” Jaishankar said.
He made the remarks during ORF panel discussion on ‘At The Heart of Development- Aid, Trade & Technology’ which was held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
“A few months ago, it was very clear the world was moving towards much greater unpredictability, volatility, uncertainty,” Jaishankar said.
Amid the major policy changes made by the governments around the world, Jaishankar said, “The level of policy changes and their practical impact, played out publicly, is one part of it.”
He further added that initial concerns were about the supply chain and sources of production. “When we said let’s de-risk the world and hedge against uncertainty, it meant having more production centres, more resilient, redundant supply chains… We also have to protect ourselves against the uncertainty of market access,” he said.
He said that the while the economic processes have become risky, it is imperative protect national interests amid the global risks. “The central proposition in diplomacy and international relations is how to de-risk, hedge, and become more resilient,” he said.
