India’s position more powerful than ever, still not a member of UNSC: Ex UK PM Tony Blair

New Delhi: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said that the real challenge today is how to understand the changing geopolitics. It is not a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Participating in a panel discussion ‘Turbulence, Temperament and Temperancy: Leadership in the Age of Uncertainty’ during the Raisina Dialogue here on Friday, Blair said India’s position in changing geopolitics is absolutely critical as the country progresses. The last few years have been remarkable.

He said that the West would have to share power. Blair said, “The problem with reforming the UN Security Council, which certainly should happen…It’s absurd to think that India isn’t a permanent member, but you could say the same about other countries.”

“But leave that aside because the problem with reforming the UN Security Council is always how do you get consensus? The West has no choice but to share power. The question is how do you go about this new How to make sense of international diplomacy in the world.” He added.

Blair said that India is a bigger economy than Britain today.

“It is a geopolitical power, it is a colonial country that dominates the original English game of cricket,” he said during a panel discussion with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.

Increasingly, when countries around the world are concerned about whether they have to choose between the US and China, he said, “I think India is a country that many people see as an objective friend.” “.

“And I think it now has an opportunity to lead the global south in a way that has never been true before,” he said.

“The real challenge today is how to understand the changing geopolitics and in that situation India is absolutely critical because the progress in India over the last few years has been remarkable and extraordinary. And I think that’s where India is again My view, as an outsider, is potentially more powerful with the G20. It’s a kind of show of authority on the global stage.”

India hosted the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday and the outcome document reflected a consensus on concerns of the global south and other issues of global import, including ways to combat terrorism and climate change.