The G20 meet held in China this week saw a lot of fireworks, and contributing to the news, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi minced no words as he called for collective action against rising terrorism, making a not-so-subtle jibe at neighbour Pakistan along the way.
Speaking to the present international community, Modi said, "Growing forces of violence and terror pose a fundamental challenge. There are some nations that use it as an instrument of state policy. One single nation in South Asia is spreading these agents of terror in the countries of our region. India has a policy of zero tolerance to terrorism. Because anything less than that is not enough. For us, a terrorist is a terrorist." Crisp and curt in his tone, the PM made sure he was heard.
This isn't the first time India indicated Pak as being the sponsorer of extremism. However, this is the very first time an Indian leader vocally endorsed the country's stance and called a spade a spade. New Delhi has always blamed the country for using terrorism against it. But it took Modi to call Pak out. Modi's statements are of vital significance, considered the two countries' history. He did not spare Pak's ally China either, saying, "Those who sponsor and support terrorism must be isolated and sanctioned, not rewarded." The communist country has a technical hold on the sanctions against Maulana Masood Azhar, head of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the mastermind of the January attack on Pathankot base. It remains quietly supportive of Pak and has often used its antagonism towards India to its benefit.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held several bilateral meetings with leaders of member nations. Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and asked Beijing to respect and be sensitive to India's concerns regarding issues, specifically the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He asserted that the fight against terror should not be motivated by "political considerations" and that it is of "paramount importance that we respect each other's aspirations, concerns and strategic interests" to ensure durable bilateral ties.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Vikas Swarup informed that a lot of issues were discussed during the 35-minute bilateral with Xi. "As a matter of principle, both countries would have to be sensitive to each other's strategic interests." He said that Modi highlighted that "we have succeeded in maintaining peace and tranquillity on the border," and added that "in order to promote positive convergence, we would also need to prevent growth of negative perception. For this, the specific actions by both countries would play the major role."
When asked whether Modi raised the issue of China blocking India's bid for the NSG membership, Swarup declined to answer. Instead, he said, "I am not going into the nitty gritty of each and everything that was discussed. Everything is not meant for public consumption. There are certain things (which) need to remain between the two governments."
PM Modi also met with UK Prime Minister Theresa May who was recently sworn in, on July 13, after the Brexit vote. He raised the issue of UK's new visa policy and talked about its negative impact on Indian working professionals who wish to visit the country for short-term business. Swarup informed, "PM touched on UK's visa policy. In particular, he said the new UK regulations could have negative impact on Indian working professionals wishing to visit UK for short term business." Modi also mentioned the GST and how it will further boost trade and investment ties with the UK. He particularly stressed that even with the country voting to leave the European Union, it remained an important partner. On her part, May expressed her support to PM Modi's reform agenda and said that the UK was keen on participating in 'Make in India', 'Smart Cities' and 'Skill India' programmes among others.
The G20 meet that ended on Monday saw China initially cornered by the West, over its South China sea policies. The union represents 85 per cent of the world's GDP, with members including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK, US, and the European Union. The Indian Prime Minister also met with Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and, Argentina President Mauricio Macri.
