Noting that India’s vision has given shape to the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said that the planned corridor will prove to be one of the biggest game-changers of 21st century.
Addressing a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament today, President Murmu said that India has strengthened its relations with the neighbouring countries.
She said India is the first responder in any crisis due to its human-centric approach.
“Following the Neighbourhood First policy, India has strengthened its relations with the neighbouring countries. Leaders of seven neighbouring countries participated in the swearing-in ceremony of the Union Council of Ministers on June 9,” the President said.
“Whether it is East Asia or the Middle East and Europe, my government is giving a lot of importance to connectivity. The vision of India has started giving shape to the India-Middle East Economic Corridor. This corridor will be one of the biggest game changers of the 21st century,” she added.
India, the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor during the New Delhi G20 Summit held in September last year.
“We have worked on the IMEC, which is going to be a big game changer like the Silk Route was a game changer. There was a positive and proactive role of the Gulf countries. India got an opportunity to play a good role. The US and Europe were with us. And everyone thought that there would be a concrete, positive outcome. So we used to meet on that,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi told ANI in an interview earlier.
In her speech, the President said that global order is taking a new shape in this third decade of 21st century.
“Due to the efforts of my Government, Bharat is giving a new confidence to the world as a Vishwa-Bandhu. Due to its human-centric approach, India today is the first responder in any crisis and has become a strong voice of the Global South. India has been at the forefront in safeguarding humanity be it the Corona crisis or an earthquake or a war,” she said.
President Murmu said that India has united the world on many issues during its G20 presidency.
She said that the African Union was made the 27th member of the grouping under India’s Presidency, and noted that the move has strengthened the “trust of the African continent as well as the entire Global South.”
“How the world’s view of India has changed, we have all experienced this in the G7 Summit held in Italy. India has united the world on many issues during its G20 presidency. It is during India’s presidency that the African Union has been made the 27th member of G20. This has strengthened the trust of the African continent as well as the entire Global South,” the President said.
A breakthrough was achieved on the first day of the New Delhi Summit G20 Summit as there was consensus on”Ukraine paragraphs” with shift in position by some countries. The New Delhi Declaration was adopted unanimously.
