Finance
Newly elected British Prime Minister Liz Truss stated that her country is deepening relations and expanding security ties with fellow democracies such as India in order to build economic strength and resilience.
She made her global debut on Wednesday at the General Assembly’s high-level meeting, saying, “The free world needs this economic strength and resilience to push back against authoritarian aggression and win this new era of strategic competition.”
“We are deepening our links with fellow democracies like India, Israel, Indonesia, and South Africa,” Truss said. We are strengthening security ties with our Indo-Pacific and Gulf allies.”
Last year, India and the United Kingdom agreed to Roadmap 2030, a broad plan of cooperation that includes strategic affairs, trade, and the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific security, climate change and health.
The Prime Minister delivered a stark message about a clash between democracy and autocracy over the future of the world.
“A real struggle is taking place between different types of society – between democracies and autocracies.” But we can’t just assume a democratic future exists.
“We will fall behind unless democratic societies deliver on the economy and security that our citizens expect,” she added.
For this, Truss stated that democracies such as the United Kingdom must build their economies rather than “be strategically dependent on those who seek to weaponize the global economy,” a reference to Russia, whose ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its fallout have been devastating to many countries.
Democracies must work together to be economically and strategically resilient, she says.
The Prime Minister also alluded to the predatory nature of China’s economic programs abroad, saying, “Rather than exerting influence through debt, aggression, and taking control of critical infrastructure and minerals, we are building strategic ties based on mutual benefit and trust.”
Earlier in the day, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly of the United Kingdom.
“Discussed taking forward Roadmap 2030,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. I appreciate his commitment to expanding our collaboration. Our conversation also touched on global issues such as the Indo-Pacific, Ukraine, and UN Security Council issues.”
Source:OCN
