Bangladesh, Oct. 2 -- For much of the Global South, energy security has moved beyond the realm of policy discussion. It has become a question of economic stability, food security and, in some cases, national survival.

The disruption of traditional shipping routes amid the escalating Middle East conflict has exposed the vulnerability of developing economies to energy shocks they did not create. Rising oil prices, disrupted supply chains, higher transport costs and shortages of fuel, fertilizer and other essential commodities are increasingly being transmitted from conflict zones to countries far beyond them.

At the 81st United Nations General Assembly in September 2026, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other representat...