Some countries taking advantage of COVID-19 to enhance terrorism, adopt aggressive policies: India

In a veiled reference to Pakistan and China, India said on Monday that when some countries were taking advantage of COVID-19 pandemic to enhance terrorism or adopt aggressive policies, it has been rushing medical supplies and strengthen national health capacities to mitigate the socio-economic impact on vulnerable countries.

TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, made the remarks at the commemoration of the third anniversary of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.

“When some countries are taking advantage of COVID to enhance terrorism or adopt aggressive policies, India’s answer is to rush medical supplies, strengthen national health capacity or mitigate socio-eco impacts on vulnerable countries,” India mission at UN tweeted quoting Tirumurti.

“India gives priority to sustainability and demand-driven projects, and shuns efforts to impose conditionalities or create indebtedness or constrain developmental space of developing countries,” he added.

India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area and Galwan Valley. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June.

The envoy said that the essence of India’s development partnership was articulated by Swami Vivekananda.

“Each nation must give in order to live. When you give, you will have life; when you receive, you must pay for it by giving to all others,” he quoted Swami Vivekananda as saying.

The India-UN Development Partnership Fund is a dedicated facility within the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation established in 2017. It is supported and led by the Indian government, managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and implemented in collaboration with the United Nations system.

Source: ANI