Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in an interview with The Indian Express that India has “done the right thing in putting its sovereign and economic interests first while also appealing for peace,” ahead of the major G20 meeting, which begins today in Delhi.
At the same time, he has warned against using foreign policy to influence domestic politics.
According to sources, Manmohan Singh, who served as Prime Minister of the Congress-led UPA for two years between 2004 and 2014, is among the politicians invited to a G20 dinner on Saturday.
Dr Singh told the reporters that international policy has become considerably more relevant to domestic politics than it was during his tenure as India’s G20 presidency. He stressed the importance of exercising restraint while employing diplomacy for party politics.
“I am very glad that India’s rotational chance for the Presidency of the G20 came during my lifetime and I am witness to India hosting world leaders for the G20 summit.
“Foreign policy has always been an important element of India’s governance framework, but it is fair to say that it has become even more relevant and important to domestic politics today than earlier.
“While India’s standing in the world should rightfully be an issue in domestic politics, it is equally important to exercise restraint in using diplomacy and foreign policy for party or personal politics,” said the 90-year-old former PM.
Dr. Singh commented on the government’s handling of a difficult diplomatic position on the Ukraine-Russia conflict, stating it had done “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 further added.
