In an interview with The Indian Express, former prime minister Manmohan Singh claimed that India has “done the right thing in putting its sovereign and economic interests first while also appealing for peace,” ahead of the historic G20 summit, which starts today in Delhi. He has also expressed caution about utilizing foreign policy for domestic politics at the same time.
According to sources, Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister for two terms of the UPA led by the Congress between 2004 and 2014, is one of the leaders invited to a G20 dinner on Saturday.
Dr. Singh claimed that, compared to his period, the importance of foreign policy to domestic politics has increased significantly while India is holding the G20 presidency. He emphasized the need for restraint while employing diplomacy for political gain.
“I am delighted that India’s opportunity to serve as the G20’s rotating presidency fell during my lifetime and that I got to see India host the G20 summit. Although it has always been a crucial component of India’s governance structure, it is fair to say that today’s internal politics place an even greater emphasis on and relevance to foreign policy than in the past. It is necessary to exhibit caution when utilizing diplomacy and foreign policy for party or personal politics, the 90-year-old former prime minister said, adding that while India’s place in the world should legitimately be a topic of discussion in domestic politics.
Regarding the government’s management of a harsh diplomatic stance on the conflict between the Ukraine and Russia, Dr. Singh commented that it had “the right thing.”
“When two or more powers are caught in a conflict, there is immense pressure on other nations to choose sides. I believe India has done the right thing in putting our sovereign and economic interests first while also appealing for peace. The G20 was never envisaged as the forum for settling security-related conflicts. It is important for the G20 to set aside security differences and keep its focus on policy coordination to tackle the challenges of climate, inequality and confidence in global trade,” he said.
Regarding relations with China and President Xi Jinping’s decision to skipping the summit, he expressed his hope that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take all necessary measures to safeguard India’s territorial and sovereign integrity but said that he would prefer not to give policy recommendations to the government.
“It is not right for me to offer advice to the Prime Minister on how to handle complex diplomatic matters. It is unfortunate that the Chinese President Xi Jinping has chosen not to attend the G20 summit. I hope and believe the Prime Minister will take all steps necessary to protect India’s territorial and sovereign integrity and defuse bilateral tensions,” said the veteran Congress leader.
As India marks its 75th anniversary of independence, Dr. Singh said he was “more optimistic than worried” about the difficulties that lay ahead, but he also sounded a note of caution.
In addition, Dr. Singh commended India’s ISRO for Chandrayaan’s successful lunar landing. When he was prime minister, Chandrayaan 1 was launched.
Regarding economic difficulties and India’s position, Dr. Singh emphasized that the nation’s external commerce increased significantly during his leadership. This was crucial in integrating the Indian economy with the world market.
