For India, aspiring to become a $5 trillion economy and one of the top three global economies by 2031, with international trade contributing close to 40% of its GDP, equitable international cooperation holds the key.
This is the first time that maritime security is being discussed as an exclusive agenda item in such a high-level open debate.
On June 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin over phone and agreed on the importance of closer India-Russia ties for jointly addressing the challenges of the post-COVID world.
By IAR Desk UNSC statement condemning the recent terror attack in Karachi was twice stalled
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanks the International Community
Pakistan’s ally Beijing had called for the issue of Jammu and Kashmir to be discussed in the 15-nation Council on Tuesday after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi wrote a letter to the Council on December 12 on the situation in the region.
This was National Security Advisor’s first visit to Moscow following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by India
Photo: Courtesy Ministry of External Affairs, India
The outcome of the UNSC meeting had no formal pronouncement as the consultations are informal in nature.
“China asked for closed consultations on the Security Council agenda item ‘India Pakistan Question’. The request was in reference to the Pakistani letter to Security Council President,” the diplomat said.
The challenge for India’s diplomacy therefore is to find a way out of the USA’s conflict with Iran (and also with Russia) so that its vital energy and maritime connectivity interests in the case of Iran remain unaffected.
Photo: File/Reuters