@Evening: 📝 PM Modi's WSJ Interview — India's Role, Message To China, Confident About Russia-Ukraine War Stance

💪 New Delhi's leadership role

Wall Street Journal interviewed Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his first official state visit to Washington after nine years in office.

• India deserves a "much higher, deeper and wider profile and a role" in today's world, the Prime Minister said.

• He called for a revamp of international organisations, including the United Nations, to better suit the current multipolar world order.

• He emphasised the need for these global institutions to be more representative of the world's less affluent nations and their priorities.

• He attributed many of the world's challenges, such as terrorism, proxy wars, and expansionism, to the failure of Cold War-era global institutions to adapt with the changing times.

• He argued that smaller and regional groups have emerged to fill the void, highlighting the need for change within global institutions like the UN.

🗣️ “Look at the membership of key institutions—does it truly represent the voice of democratic values?... A place like Africa—does it have a voice? India has such a huge population and is a bright spot in the global economy, but is it present?” — PM Narendra Modi

PM strong on China. Speaking about India's ties with China, PM Modi said, "For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquility in the border areas are essential."

• Highlighting the importance of respecting the rule of law, he said, "We firmly believe in upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity, adhering to the rule of law, and seeking peaceful resolutions to differences and disputes."

• However, in what appeared to be a warning to Beijing, the Prime Minister told the US newspaper: "At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity."

• Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in a three-year-long border standoff that originated in May 2020 along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Confident in Russia-Ukraine war stance. The Prime Minister denied being "neutral" on the Ukraine conflict and expressed confidence in India's stance.

• “Some people say that we are neutral. But we are not neutral. We are on the side of peace,” PM Modi said.

• Addressing the criticism of India's position on the Russia-Ukraine war, PM Modi said, "I don't think this perception is widespread in the US. I think India’s position is well known and well understood in the entire world."

• "The world has full confidence that India’s topmost priority is peace," he added.

• The Russia-Ukraine war began on 24 February last year and has continued with no signs of abating.