To demonstrate India’s balance, Prime Minister Modi visited Russia and Ukraine.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Ukraine, weeks after a state visit to Russia, has been hailed by a former Singaporean diplomat who says India’s role in global diplomacy has reached a crucial point and the role of the West has diminished significantly.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV’s Sonia Singh, former Singaporean diplomat Professor Kishore Mahbubani said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia and Ukraine shows how India has “become a major geopolitical player”.
“How many leaders in the world can comfortably go to Russia and Ukraine and be welcomed warmly by both countries? Very few countries in the world. And the fact that Prime Minister Modi can do this is a sign that India has become a major geopolitical player,” Mahbubani said.
Indian Prime Minister Modi visited Russia and met with President Vladimir Putin in July to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. During his discussions with President Putin, Indian Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s position and emphasized “peaceful resolution of the conflict over Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy, including engagement between the two sides.”
Demonstrating India’s ability to manage good relations with most nations, Prime Minister Modi visited Ukraine weeks after his visit to Russia, making it the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the European country was formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Calling the trip “historic”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed four documents with India on a wide range of issues.
“We (India) are not neutral. Right from the beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war,” Prime Minister Modi said in his opening address at the talks.
Prof Mahbubani also spoke about how India could play a bigger role in the world if it gets a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“The biggest hope for India is to play a role globally, for example by giving it permanent membership in the UN Security Council, which will enable it to do much more to create a better world,” he said.
India is vying for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, with countries like Russia, France, the US and the UK all supporting India’s bid, with China being the only obstacle.
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