Manmohan Singh praises Modi govt over its stand on Russia-Ukraine crisis but adds a word of caution

As India is all set to host the G20 Summit that starts on September 9, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke in favour of the current Modi government with regards to the handling of the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Singh said that India "has done the right thing in putting its sovereign and economic interests first while also appealing for peace".

"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," the veteran Congress leader said when asked about the Modi government's approach in managing its relations with Russia and the West amid the war.

Singh further said that he was "more optimistic about India's future than worried" but added a word of caution saying that the optimism is "contingent on India being harmonious".

"On the whole, I am more optimistic about India’s future than worried. However, my optimism is contingent on India being a harmonious society, which is the bedrock for all progress and development. India’s innate instinct is to welcome and celebrate diversity which must be preserved," he said.

In connection to Chinese President Xi Jinping not attending the G20 Summit in Delhi, Singh called it "unfortunate", but refrained from giving any suggestion to the Centre in dealing with India-China tensions.

"It is not right for me to offer advice to the Prime Minister on how to handle complex diplomatic matters. It is unfortunate that the Chinese President Xi Jinping has chosen not to attend the G20 Summit. I hope and believe the Prime Minister will take all steps necessary to protect India’s territorial and sovereign integrity and defuse bilateral tensions," the former PM said.

India is set to make a dash for a goal line at the two-day G20 Summit beginning Saturday in addressing some of the complex global challenges such as concerns of the Global South, consequences of the Ukraine conflict, gloomy economic scenario, and fostering inclusive growth amid a fragmented geopolitical environment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders of the G20 grouping as well as chiefs of many leading world bodies like the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are converging in the national capital for the Summit.

It is for the first time that India is hosting the annual Summit of the G20 and New Delhi has pulled out all the stops in rolling out a grand welcome to the leaders and making the summit a success. The city has also undergone a major makeover to host such a high-profile event in decades.

However, the biggest question looming over the Summit is whether there will be a joint leaders' declaration in view of the sharp differences between the West and the Russia-China combine on the text to describe the Ukraine conflict in the document.

(With PTI inputs)