India welcomes pro-democracy wave in Middle East, North Africa: PM
March 18th, 2011 - 6:53 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) India Friday welcomed the pro-democracy wave sweeping the Middle East and North Africa, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying that “these are decisions for countries and their citizens to take for themselves.”
“As a democracy, we are happy to see our brothers in West Asia (Middle East) and North Africa taking an increasing role in determining their own future. These are decisions for countries and their citizens to take for themselves, free of outside interference or coercion,” he said at the India Today Conclave here.
“India will do what it can to support the decisions that the people and countries of the region take about their own future. As close neighbours and historical friends, we have a major stake in their peaceful, orderly evolution. Over six million of our citizens live and work in this area,” he added.
India’s trade, economic and human ties with the countries of South Asia, East Asia and the Middle East are deep and historical, he said.
“We have to find new pathways of cooperation with these countries to create new opportunities for growth and development,” he added.
“The balance is also shifting between states in the global system. The old order is clearly changing. A new order, however, is yet to be born. No country has a greater interest and stake than India in a rule-based and predictable international system within which we can grow and develop,” he stressed.
A series of revolutions have swept across the Middle East and North Africa with a public outcry for democracy and human rights echoing in many countries.
It started with the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia followed by the uprising in Egypt that began Jan 25 and Libya later.
Bahrain, one of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, also saw major public protests that led to the intervention of GCC armed forces in the island kingdom. And Yemen has witnessed repeated violence, seeking ouster of its leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.
- UN Security Council urges strict implementation of Yemeni political agreement - Nov 29, 2011
- Is revolution possible in a Shellfare society? (Comment) - Mar 27, 2011
- India invited to make huge investments in Africa: Mozambique - Mar 28, 2011
- President focuses on cooperation in South Asia - Mar 12, 2012
- Text of President Barack Obama's address to India's parliament - Nov 08, 2010
- BRICS working for shared prosperity: Manmohan Singh - Apr 14, 2011
- India pledges full cooperation to Egypt, to enhance trade - May 31, 2011
- Mortar shells hit Yemeni Air Force Base, destroying two fighter jets - Oct 31, 2011
- Over 50 killed as clashes between Yemeni security forces and tribal rebels continue - May 25, 2011
- Yemeni President Saleh says he will 'soon' return to his country - Aug 17, 2011
- Sweden eyes stronger ties with UAE - Dec 26, 2010
- Saleh not to sign power-transfer plan in Qatari envoys' presence - Apr 29, 2011
- Arab world unrest spreads, scalds China (Roundup) - Feb 20, 2011
- Businesses cautious over Arab world unrest - Feb 24, 2011
- British official lauds relations with UAE - Oct 31, 2011
Tags: coercion, countries of south asia, democracy and human rights, east asia, gcc countries, global system, growth and development, gulf cooperation council, india today conclave, manmohan, manmohan singh, neighbours, new pathways, north africa, ouster, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, public outcry, public protests, west asia