'India Prepared, Wants Normal Ties, On Side of Peace': Here's What PM Said on Pak, China & Ukraine | 10 Points

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to amplify the voices and concerns of the Global South at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan and emphasised India’s role as a reliable partner in addressing global challenges.

PM Modi, who will be participating at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in Japan, spoke on a range of issues including the Ukraine war, tensions with neighbouring China and Pakistan and the upcoming Quad summit in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

Here are the top points from PM Narendra Modi’s interview:

1. Speaking on India’s presence at the G7 summit, PM Modi said that he will emphasize New Delhi’s role as a reliable partner in addressing global challenges and added that India’s experience would “resonate strongly at the meeting.”
2. India wants “normal and neighbourly relations” with Pakistan but it is incumbent on the country to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and to take necessary actions, PM Modi said in the interview.
3. On the China issue, PM Modi said India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity; and stressed on the rule of law and peaceful resolution of disputes.
4. He further said that that peace and tranquillity in the Indo-China border are necessary for normal ties with Beijing. The future development of the bilateral relationship can only be based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests, he added.
5. In response to a question on whether India can play a mediator role in Ukraine war, the prime minister said that India stands on the side of peace, and will remain firmly there.
6. He further said that cooperation and collaboration should define our times and not conflict while adding that India maintains communication with both Russia and Ukraine.
7. PM Modi also said that India engages with a wide range of friends and like-minded partners globally based on the national interests. Speaking on Quad, he said that the alliance is based on “fostering a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, while, on the hand, the SCO plays a significant role in New Delhi’s relations with the Central Asian partners.
8. India’s participation in both SCO and Quad is not contradictory or mutually exclusive for India, PM added.
9. On the issue of United Nations reform and India’s permanent seat in the Security Council, PM Modi said the credibility of UNSC and its decision-making process will always be questioned if it continues to deny representation to the world’s largest democracy and other African and Latin American countries.
10. PM Modi also said that India’s economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing and the country has risen from being the tenth largest economy in 2014 to now being the fifth largest economy.