Abu Dhabi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for “urgent” reform of multilateral institutions to reflect the changing global order, saying stronger cooperation among smaller groups of countries could support the process.
Highlighting the increasing pace of change in the global order during the conversation, the minister said it reflected both “long-term trends and immediate shocks”, prompting countries to explore new partnerships and alternatives in response to their specific circumstances. “New partnerships and fresh options are inevitably explored in that pursuit,” he said in a social media post after the discussion. This required countries to move beyond traditional comfort zones and develop sharper strategic awareness, Jaishankar said.
“The reform of multilateralism is urgent. It can be supported through stronger minilateralism,” he underlined. Jaishankar made the remarks during a session of the Raisina Dialogue’s Middle East edition in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, where he joined UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for a discussion on ‘The World Ahead: Power, Purpose & Possibility’.
The Indian expatriate community is the largest ethnic community in the UAE, accounting for approximately 35 per cent of the country’s population, according to the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi. The number of resident Indian nationals in the UAE was estimated at 4.3 million in 2024.
“The India-UAE partnership of the last decade is a great example of our two nations responding to the changing global environment,” he said.
