Jaishankar urges G20 to shield energy markets from sanctions and chokepoints

S Jaishankar told G20 foreign ministers that sanctions and chokepoints were disrupting global energy trade. His remarks underscored developing countries' need for affordable supplies and stronger cooperation.Washington,Oct 31, 2026 04:46 ISTExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has strongly criticised disruptions to global oil supplies through sanctions and key transit chokepoints, saying deliberate attacks on energy trade and infrastructure were a calculated strategy to hold prices hostage, news agency Press Trust of India reported.Speaking at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta on Friday, Jaishankar said the world was facing an energy crisis driven not by a lack of production but by unpredictability, supply disruptions, unaffordable costs and difficulties in access.His remarks came amid US sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil, disruptions to energy supplies from West Asia and the decision to lift sanctions on the sale of Russian diesel.According to PTI, Jaishankar said in a post on X that he had highlighted how deliberate attacks on energy trade and infrastructure were being used to keep energy prices hostage. “The G20 must display both understanding and leadership to keep energy markets open and predictable,” he said at the meeting convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Jaishankar said energy markets were increasingly being distorted through obstacles, sanctions and chokepoints, with greater complexity and wider impact. He added that there appeared to be little regard for the difficulties faced by low-income countries. The minister also said convenient distinctions were being made between oil and gas. “Selective carve-outs speak for themselves,” he said.He said the wider effects of such measures and the mutual dependence of countries in a globalised market should not be underestimated. He reaffirmed that India needed reliable and predictable LPG supplies for its clean cooking requirements.Jaishankar also said India's National Mission on critical minerals covered the entire process from exploration to recycling. India had proposed a G20 Critical Minerals Circularity Initiative, he added.The minister said the G20 must expand access to finance and support progress in energy storage, small modular reactors, green hydrogen and biofuels.Jaishankar's remarks focused on the need for open and predictable energy markets, reliable supplies for developing countries and greater G20 cooperation on finance, critical minerals and emerging energy technologies.With PTI Inputs- Ends