Atlanta: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Atlanta to join G20 foreign ministers on Friday for a two-day meeting that the US says will focus on energy, supply chains and keeping sea lanes open, issues that weigh heavily on India’s oil, LNG and fertilizer imports.
He will also attend a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting on the sidelines.
“There is shared resolve to confront urgent crises and keep critical sea lanes open to commerce without threats or tolls. This is important for energy resources, but equally important for fertilizer and food,” a State Department official told said ahead of the meeting, hosted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
For India, among the world’s largest oil importers, the conflict in West Asia and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have pushed energy security to the top of the agenda. The official said “Energy is foundational for economic growth around the world” and access must be “affordable and abundant”, which is “necessary if a country wants to use SI (superintelligence) and the emerging technologies being developed.”
“Supply chains for critical minerals are vital for energy security and advanced manufacturing,” the official said, adding that other supply chains are essential, “especially for fertilizer, LNG, oil, other raw materials for manufacturing.”
“Conversations in Atlanta will provide an opportunity to discuss energy and supply chain challenges as well as identify ways to collectively address the impact of geopolitical tensions on economic security,” the official said.
Announcing the visit in New Delhi on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The External Affairs Minister will be attending the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Atlanta, United States, from 30th to 31st October, 2026. On the sidelines of this meeting, he will also participate in a QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and also have several bilateral engagements with his counterparts.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she would meet counterparts from the US, India and Japan “for the third Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting this year.” She said Australia had joined the EU-led “No Fees/No Tolls” pledge, “opposing unlawful fees and tolls that would undermine freedom of navigation and set a dangerous precedent for international shipping.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is among the heads of delegation, according to a list released by a State Department spokesperson, while China is sending Executive Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu rather than Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The official also said: “The United States also fully supports Poland becoming a full member of the G20,” citing Poland’s economic success over the past 30 years, which “has helped them become a leading global economy”. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is attending.
Other heads of delegation include Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi, Australia’s Wong, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkiye’s Hakan Fidan, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Brazil’s Mauro Vieira, Canada’s Anita Anand, South Korea’s Cho Hyun, France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, Indonesia’s Arramantha Nasir, Mexico’s Roberto Velasco, Argentina’s Pablo Quirno and Burundi’s Edouard Bizimana for the African Union. Italy is represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Maria Tripodi. The list names Ed Miliband as Britain’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are returning the G20 to its core mission of driving economic growth, strengthening economic security, and delivering results for the American people,” the official said, describing a “back to basics” approach “aimed at bringing G20 members together to have robust conversations on the most pressing challenges to global economic prosperity.”
The US presidency has focused on economic growth and deregulation, innovation, energy, and trade. “The four previous G20 ministerials have produced a number of consensus statements that move the G20 countries forward. Still, more work is needed before we reach the conclusion of the G20 presidency in Miami,” the official said.
“We look forward to bringing together foreign ministers in Atlanta to advance the G20’s core mission of promoting global stability and prosperity,” the official added.
From Atlanta, Jaishankar will travel to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from November 1 to 4. Trump is to host the G20 Leaders’ Summit at Trump National Doral in Miami on December 14-15. The Quad foreign ministers last met in New Delhi on May 26.
(IANS)
