Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the 11th edition of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. Delivering the keynote address, President of Finland Dr Alexander Stubb today said that the Global South will decide the next world order, and India will play a deciding factor in it. He remarked that the global power balance has shifted, and the Global South has economics and demography on its side. President Stubb said the era of a Western-dominated world is over, but this will take some time to sink in across the West. He acknowledged that there are major challenges in world politics today.
President of Finland stressed that a power vacuum will be felt without a functioning world power. He added that if nations give up on international rules, the current world order will collapse. He opined that the West should try to figure out how best to contain power in an imperfect world. He said India has been under no illusions and has based its foreign policy on a pragmatic worldview. He said India has been careful not to rely solely on the goodwill of one partner and this approach makes sense. He said that India does not isolate itself and its power is based on active engagement.
On shaping the new world order, Dr Stubbs said Finland’s policy is based on values-based realism. He highlighted that India has been applying values-based realism for thousands of years. He said this is evident in how India works as a constructive member of the United Nations. He stressed the need to increase representation, saying that the voices of the Global South must be heard much louder. He said India should have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. He said trade is being wielded as a geopolitical tool, and India’s leadership is needed in this era. President Stubb said new technology should not increase the divide between developed and developing nations. He said AI will only benefit the world when it is shared. He added that global phenomena such as climate change and migration require solutions.
Speaking on this occasion, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said Indians must continue to develop sharp global awareness. He said the discussions over the next few days will be about new capabilities, technology, AI and new mindsets.
The theme this year is Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement.
