External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that
the Vaccine Maitri exercise has been a strong statement and defines
what India is to the world.
“I think, Vaccine Maitri has been a very strong statement. Very
often when I go to Africa to other countries in Asia, or meet with
my counterparts in the Caribbean or the Pacific Island. I will say
today perhaps if there’s a single action, which for them defines
what is India, then it is actually been the Vaccine Maitri
exercise,” Jaishankar said at an ICCR event.
He said India is increasingly perceived as a tech-friendly society and the generosity of India has also come through in different ways.
“India today, when it comes to soft power is a polity, which expresses its beliefs, which practices its values, which is very proud of its way of life. We obviously will not allow it to be diminished or denigrated,” Jaishankar said while talking about the soft power.
Mentioning India’s progress, he said, “I think India today is progressing, which is embracing modernity while preserving and even enriching its traditions.”
Jaishankar also mentioned that India enriches the world more by example than by aggressive advocacy.
“The message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam in many ways, expresses that middle path when it comes to coexistence and pluralism,” he concluded.