India and other countries can play a “bridging role” amid all the divisions caused by the Ukraine conflict, which has also impacted development around the world, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Monday.
Participating in a panel discussion in Abu Dhabi, Jaishankar emphasised the role of big technology enterprises that have monetised data, and questioned whether they should be allowed to have complete freedom to decide what they are doing at a time when countries are looking for trust and transparency in technology-related matters.
The Ukraine war has led to two big divides, one between the East and West, and the other between the North and the South, centering around development. “Ukraine is also having an impact on development. I do believe a country like India can play a bridging role, not alone,” he said.
“I think the UAE, for example, has also been doing some of it. So would some other countries but there is today the need to bridge,” Jaishankar said.
His remarks came against the backdrop of India’s crucial role in bridging divisions within the G20 over the Ukraine war. India has not publicly denounced Russia’s invasion, but has consistently said that there should be an end to hostilities and the conflict should be settled through dialogue and diplomacy.
Anwar Gargash, the senior diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president, who also participated in the panel discussion on the theme ‘India-UAE: Partners for global impact’, said every country wants to see a “quick end” to the Ukraine conflict.
“We all believe that this conflict will not end except politically, and through a political process. I think it is in our interest to make sure that there is a political process that ends this conflict,” he added.
Jaishankar questioned whether all countries, companies and providers are the same when it came to technology and highlighted the importance being given to trust and transparency in such matters. He said countries “need to start taking positions” on such issues.
Also Read:‘Best deal’: EAM Jaishankar defends India’s decision to buy Russian crude
Noting that some technology companies have market caps that would qualify them for the G20, he said the issue of regulating such firms cannot be ducked in the name of narrative setting and political correctness. “Do tech companies have the same rules for cooperating on national security matters?” he said, adding that he was not for regulating everything, but was pointing to the need for accepted norms, practices and operating ethos.
“If you have big enterprises which have monetised data through their particular models, in the name of freedom, would you leave them completely to decide what they are doing when they have reached that stage,” he asked.
Countries have a need to “feel comfortable about trusted providers in telecommunications”, and about the handling of cross-border data flows as all companies, societies and destinations are not the same, Jaishankar said.
In his keynote address at the event, Jaishankar said the world is being defined by the impact of globalisation, a rebalancing between different nations and regions, and a multipolar order where some nations and groupings have acquired more importance and influence and emerged as autonomous centres of decision-making.
Besides cooperating bilaterally in new areas such as AI, space and health, India and the UAE are working on a new agenda that includes exploring the possibility of health cooperation in Africa and working within the I2U2 framework with Israel and the United States to take forward transformation in the region, he said. Gargash added that I2U2 reflects the potential for agility and effectiveness, whereby a smaller number of countries with common interests in a certain area can move forward.
Jaishankar was also critical of developed countries for not meeting their commitments for climate justice, saying, “Those occupying carbon space have kept promising that they would help others and frankly, they’ve kept short-changing the world.”
These countries come up with new arguments and keep “kicking the can down the road”, he added.
The EAM said governments and multilateral development banks will have to take the lead in this field and private financing will follow.