New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s development and cooperation with other nations does not come with any conditions and is not influenced by political or commercial considerations.
India’s approach to development is mainly human-centric and it wants to work for the welfare of humanity.
“India is glad that the oil pipeline project it is doing with Nepal will help ensure the availability of petroleum products”. New Delhi has been happy to help Nepal improve its health services through the construction of an emergency and trauma hospital.
“Our partnerships reflect the development priorities of our partner nations,” he said, while addressing virtual inauguration of a new Supreme Court building at Port Louis, jointly with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth. “It is a symbol of our cooperation and shared values,” Modi said.
“Both India and Mauritius respect our respective independent judiciaries as important pillars of our democratic systems,” he observed.
Modi said history has taught us that in the name of development partnerships, nations were forced into “dependence partnerships”. “It gave rise to colonial and imperial rule. It gave rise to global power blocks as humanity suffered.”
“India is making development partnerships that are marked by respect, diversity, care for the future, and sustainable development,” he noted.
“For India,” Modi said, “the most fundamental principle in development, cooperation is respecting its partners.”
“This sharing of development lessons is our only motivation. That’s why our development cooperation does not come with any conditions. It is not influenced by political or commercial considerations,” the PM asserted.
Modi observed that Mahatma Gandhi had said, “My patriotism includes the good of mankind in general. Therefore, my service to India includes the service of humanity.” This, he said, is India’s guiding philosophy.
“India’s development partnerships are diverse,” he said, adding that “from commerce to culture, energy to engineering, health to housing, IT to infrastructure, sports to science, India is working with nations across the globe.”
“If India is honored to help in the parliament building in Afghanistan, it is also proud to be associated with the making of the Mahatma Gandhi Convention Centre in Niger,” he said.
“And we were similarly privileged to support Sri Lanka’s efforts to establish emergency ambulance services in all nine provinces,” he said. New Delhi is also at the forefront of a housing project in Sri Lanka.
Modi said India is contributing towards ensuring the availability of drinking water and sanitation in 34 islands of the Maldives.
“We have tried to make cricket popular in countries as diverse as Afghanistan and Guyana by helping build stadiums and other facilities.”
“We are excited to see the young Afghan cricket team trained in India emerges as a force to reckon with,” he said. India is now providing similar support to develop the talent of the Maldivian cricket players.
With Mauritius, India shares not only the waters of the Indian Ocean but also a common heritage of kinship, culture, and language, the PM said.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth appreciated India’s support for the project as reflective of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
He noted that the construction of the Supreme Court building with Indian assistance is a new milestone in the modernization of infrastructure in Mauritius and will help make the Mauritian justice system more efficient, accessible and inclusive. He also thanked India for the assistance rendered amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a Ministry of External Affairs statement, the new SC building is spread over an area of more than 4,700 square meters with over 10 floors and a built-up area of around 25,000 sq mt. It flaunts a modern design and green features with a focus on thermal and sound insulation and high energy efficiency.
The new building project is among the five projects being implemented under the special economic package of USD 353 million extended by India to Mauritius in 2016.
(Aditya)
