External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Sunday highlighted India’s commitment to international cooperation through vaccine supplies, development partnerships and humanitarian assistance, saying the country’s approach reflects the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the world is one family.
Addressing the Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on the occasion of United Nations Day, Jaishankar said India had extended support to countries across regions through healthcare assistance, capacity-building programmes and emergency relief.
Recalling India’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the country supplied vaccines to nations that might otherwise have faced difficulties accessing them, even as its domestic vaccination programme was underway.
Highlighting India’s development cooperation, the External Affairs Minister said the country’s partnerships now covered 78 nations, with hundreds of projects underway. He added that India’s training and capacity-building institutions also welcomed participants from other countries.
Jaishankar cited India’s emergency assistance to countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Venezuela and Jamaica as examples of its approach to international cooperation. He said the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam was reflected in the country’s actions and not merely in its stated philosophy.
Emphasising the importance of collective action, Jaishankar said cooperation among nations was essential to address challenges that extended beyond national borders. He referred to the founding of the United Nations eight decades ago as an expression of the international community’s commitment to coordinated action.
Referring to Article 1 of the UN Charter, he said the organisation was established to harmonise the actions of nations towards common objectives. He added that global challenges and opportunities could be addressed more effectively through collective efforts.
The External Affairs Minister also expressed concern over the consequences of the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, saying their effects extended to people and economies far removed from the fighting. He reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy were the way forward and said New Delhi remained willing to work with other partners towards that goal.
Calling for reforms in the United Nations, Jaishankar said the limitations of the existing multilateral system needed to be addressed. He stressed that large parts of the world should not be excluded from global decision-making and called on the UN to take a more active role in responding to international crises.
Jaishankar urged the international community to renew its commitment to cooperation while pursuing long-awaited changes in global governance. His address underlined India’s emphasis on development partnerships, humanitarian assistance, peaceful resolution of conflicts and a more representative multilateral system.
-ANI
