Nations openly supporting terrorism continue to be rewarded: PM at G7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told the G7 summit's outreach session that 'nations that openly support terrorism continue to be rewarded' and 'turning a blind eye towards terrorism for the sake of vested interests… is a betrayal of all humanity'.
In some of his sharpest statements on terror at the G7 grouping, Modi said: 'I have some serious questions for those present in this room. Are we truly serious about addressing terrorism? Will we understand the true meaning of terrorism only when it knocks on our own doors? Can those who spread terror and those who suffer from it be weighed on the same scale? Are our global institutions at risk of losing their credibility?'
'On one hand, we are quick to impose various sanctions based on our own preferences and interests. On the other hand, nations that openly support terrorism continue to be rewarded,' he said, obliquely referring to the West including the US' ties to Pakistan.
The Prime Minister made these remarks hours before US President Donald Trump was hosting visiting Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for lunch at the White House on Wednesday.
'If we don't take decisive action today… history will never forgive us. Turning a blind eye towards terrorism for the sake of vested interests, or extending support to terror or terrorists, is a betrayal of all humanity,' he said.
Underlining that there must be no place for 'double standards', Modi said: 'Recently, India faced a brutal and cowardly terrorist attack. The terrorist attack that took place on April 22 was not just an assault on Pahalgam, but a direct attack on the soul, identity, and dignity of every Indian. I express my sincere gratitude to all friends who condemned the attack in the strongest terms and extended their heartfelt condolences.'
Modi called for unity in the fight against terrorism. 'Unfortunately, our own neighborhood has become a breeding ground for terrorism. For the sake of global peace and prosperity, our thinking and our policies must be extremely clear — any country that supports terrorism must be held accountable and made to pay the price.'
He expressed his gratitude to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney for extending an invitation to the G7 Summit.
The G7 is an informal group of the world's advanced economies — France, the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada and the European Union — whose members meet annually.
While India is not a member of the G7, India's PM has attended meetings at previous summits. This was India's 12th participation and Modi's 6th in the outreach session.
Besides terror, Modi spoke on other issues too.
Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism '2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury's special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban's capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More
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