Seoul, June 25 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Thursday underscored the need for greater international cooperation in tackling global challenges, invoking India's age-old philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"-- the world is a family--as a guiding principle for fostering a more collaborative world order.
Addressing the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 in South Korea, the EAM said, "Paradoxically, the challenges we confront have only further strengthened the centripetal side. Whether it is pandemics like Covid, acts of terrorism, or the impact of extreme climate events, these cannot be contained within political jurisdictions. International cooperation is a must."
"Because our primary identity and decision-making instincts are fundamentally national, it does not happen automatically. Cultivating an openness towards the world is therefore essential. In India, we know it traditionally as 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' -- the world is a family. Much of the current turbulence we see is about societies that challenge that belief," he added.
Highlighting the challenges confronting the international order, the EAM said that the world is witnessing growing weaponisation, heightened risk-taking, and the increasingly assertive deployment of capabilities, stressing that broader international cooperation will be essential to counter these trends.
"As the interests of a few are openly prioritised, the costs to the many are less considered. This can only be countered by cooperation on more issues with greater players. At the end of the day, we will see whether multipolarity really delivers," he mentioned.
EAM Jaishankar noted that in an increasingly fragmented world, cooperation must be reinvented through five steps. Firstly, he called for "de-risking the international economy and diversifying production and supply chains," emphasising that resilience and redundancy are essential to limit economic coercion.
Secondly, he advocated for "forging new understandings and closer relationships among influential nations," arguing that such partnerships would help stabilise the global order and address issues and problems through agenda-specific cooperation.
Thirdly, he emphasised the need to enhance "awareness of the costs of narrow thinking and confrontation," while underscoring the importance of collectively protecting and promoting international law and regimes, citing UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as a good example.
Fourthly, he stressed the need to "encourage the power of aspiration" by providing the Global South with greater capacity and opportunities. "This would also create new factors of global growth," EAM Jaishankar stated.
Finally, he called for the provision of global goods through common and shared endeavours.
"We cannot rely on a few to uphold rules and norms. The world must take more control over its own future. This, amongst others, must be expressed in reformed multilateralism," EAM stated.
EAM Jaishankar further said that these five factors would make a powerful case for India and South Korea to cooperate more closely.
"We have complementarities in fields like shipbuilding, digital, health, infrastructure, or defence just waiting to be exploited. The value of our economic and technology partnership, political and strategic cooperation, and closer people-to-people ties were the subjects of my bilateral meetings yesterday," he concluded.
--IANS
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