I am the first Prime Minister to be born in free India and that’s why my thought process is inspired and influenced by my country’s attributes and traditions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
“India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and a role,” Modi said in the interview, ahead of his visit to the US this week that is billed as a turning point for bilateral relations.
“Ties between New Delhi and Washington are stronger and deeper than ever. There is an unprecedented trust…” he said, hailing the expanding defence cooperation between India and US as “an important pillar of our partnership”. This cooperation and partnership, he said, extends to trade, technology and energy.
Modi departed for the US on Tuesday morning on a State Visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Modi’s US visit is expected to give India access to critical American technologies Washington rarely shares with non-allies, strengthening a new bond that is underpinned by not just global politics but also business and economics.
Though Modi has made several previous visits to the United States, this will be his first with the full diplomatic status of an official state visit, just the third of Biden’s presidency and third by any Indian leader.
Major announcements expected during Modi’s visit are US approval to General Electric to manufacture engines in India for its domestically produced fighter jets, India’s purchase of 31 armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics worth $3 billion, and removal of US obstacles that prevent smoother trade in defence and high technology.
“Overall, Modi’s message was that—from India’s role in global politics to its contributions to the world economy—the country’s time has come. He sought to portray New Delhi as the natural leader of the global South, in sync with and able to give voice to developing countries’ long-neglected aspirations,” said the WSJ report on the hour-long interview at the PM’s official residence in New Delhi.
“The 72-year-old leader called for changes to the United Nations and other international organizations to adapt them for an increasingly multipolar world order and to make them more broadly representative of the world’s less-affluent nations and their priorities, from the consequences of climate change to debt reduction,” the report added.
“Unlike the vision of nonalignment advanced by Indian leader Jawaharlal Nehru in the early years of the Cold War, Modi’s foreign policy is one of multiple alignments, seeking to advance India’s interests in partnership with a range of global powers, including those in conflict with each other,” it further said.
In the interview, Modi also batted for diversification of supply chains, saying India is gaining its rightful position in the world. “Let me be clear that we do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world… The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains,” the WSJ report quoted the PM as saying.
On China, PM Modi said India wants peace at the border but is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity. “For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential… We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity.”
Here’s a look at the highlights of PM Modi’s interview to Wall Street Journal:
- “There is an unprecedented trust between the leaders of the US and India”
- “India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and role”
- “We do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world”
- “The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains”
- “For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential”
- “We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity”
- “All countries should respect international law and the sovereignty of countries. Disputes should be resolved with diplomacy and dialogue, not war”
- “Some people say that we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace… The world has full confidence that India’s topmost priority is peace”
- “There has to be an evaluation of the current membership of the Security Council and the world should be asked if it wants India to be there”
- “I am the first prime minister to be born in free India and that’s why my thought process, my conduct, what I say and do, is inspired and influenced by my country’s attributes and traditions. I derive my strength from it”
- “I present my country to the world as my country is, and myself, as I am”
During the three-day visit that begins in New York on June 21, Modi will be hosted by President Biden for a state dinner and a private family dinner, attend lunch with Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and address a joint session of Congress for the second time in nine years. Modi will also meet American CEOs and lead an International Yoga Day event at the UN headquarters.
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