India
Terror, climate change and Indo-Pacific were the 3 main issues Indian Prime Minister talked during his address to the Maldivian Parliament. PM Modi is only the second foreign Head of State or Government to address the People’s Majlis in its 86-year history.
Updated : Jun 08, 2019, 09:10 PM IST
Terror, climate change and Indo-Pacific were the 3 main issues Indian Prime Minister talked during his address to the Maldivian Parliament. PM Modi is only the second foreign Head of State or Government to address the People’s Majlis in its 86-year history.
Coming hard on "state sponsorship of terror" PM called it a huge challenge which is a danger for the entire humanity and requested the international community to host a global conference to tackle terror. He said,"There is not a single day when terrorist does not kill innocents. Terrorists don't have their banks or ammunition factories, yet they never have a lack of ammunition. Who gives them these ammunitions? This is a pity that people still try to differentiate between good and bad terrorists."
Without naming Pakistan, PM said, "the water is now rising above the head. Combating terrorism and radicalisation is the most accurate test of leadership in the world"
Calling climate change " not a myth", PM said "drying rivers and erratic weather is impacting farmers and rising water levels is threatening countries like Maldives." India has supported the Maldives on climate change and has provided 2500 LED lights to the capital Male. While lauding speaker of the Maldivian Parliament Mohamed Nasheed, who as the President held the first cabinet meeting underwater to highlight the challenges of climate change PM said, "The Maldives has taken a number of initiatives for sustainable development"
The focus was also on Indo Pacific with PM saying there are a number of unresolved disputes in the region. Calling for a "Free and Open Indo Pacific", PM said, "India will not only use its strength to strengthen its own nation but also its neighbors and their bright future." Adding, for "Maldives will be great partner for" India's vision for Indo Pacific as both are "neighbours and friends". PM Modi last year at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore detailed India's vision on Indo Pacific which he said is inclusive.
The speaker of the Maldives Parliament gifted PM Modi the first copy of Maldivian constitution as a token of "India'sdfence towards Maldives".This is the 11th time PM Modi addressed a Parliament of a foreign country since 2014 but first time in his second term. Overall in his first term, PM Modi addressed Parliaments of 10 countries. In the past he has addressed the parliaments of Bhutan, Nepal, Australia, Fiji, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Afghanistan,US and Uganda.