India wins worldwide praise at UN General Assembly

At the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session India has been winning praise from several developing and developed nations both for its economic and foreign policy.

Some of the most powerful voices, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron have referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's India in a positive light. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also acknowledged the key role India can play in the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Countries like France, Jamaica and Portugal also heaped praise on India.

"It is not for revenge against the West or for opposing the West against the east. It is the time for a collective time for our sovereign equal states. To cope together with challenges, we face," Macron said while referring to the conversation between PM Modi and Putin during the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Samarkand.

UN chief Guterres, in his message to a special 'India@75' event on showcasing the 'India-UN Partnership in Action', underlined that as home to the largest youth generation in history, India will be decisive in the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "explicitly' backed India for a permanent seat, straight 60 minutes after he met up with his Indian counterpart. Addressing the UNGA session, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said that the country sees India as a "key international actor" and a "worthy candidate for permanent membership within the Council."

Another high-level delegate to praise India was Jamaica Foreign Minister Kamina J Smith, who expressed gratitude towards India for its assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guyana Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd also hailed India in UNGA. "Small countries like Guyana would have benefitted immensely from India's growth trajectory as it has always been an economy that focuses on human development, putting humans ahead of any other form of development," he said.

(ANI)