Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

'Strategic Restraint Or Missed Opportunity?': Shashi Tharoor Questions India's Representation At Gaza Peace Summit


(MENAFN- Live Mint) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government's decision to send junior External Affairs Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh to represent the country at the peace summit in Egypt, where heads of state from at least 27 countries are gathered to discuss how to end the Israel-Hamas war.

In a post on X, Tharoor questioned whether India's representation reflected a stance of "strategic restraint or a missed opportunity" at a crucial international forum.

"India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there. Strategic restraint or missed opportunity?" Tharoor wrote.

His remarks followed the announcement by Kirti Vardhan Singh of his arrival in Cairo, Egypt, as the special representative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Gaza Peace Summit.

Tharoor, the Congress Member of Parliament, clarified that his remarks were "no reflection on Kirti Vardhan Singh, whose competence is not in question," but emphasised that the scale and stature of the summit required higher-level representation from India.

"Given the galaxy of grandees present, India's choice could be seen as signalling a preference for strategic distance, which our statements don't convey," Tharoor said.

(With agency inputs)

India's presence at the Sharm el-Sheikh Gaza peace summit, at the level of a Minister of State, stands in stark contrast to the heads of state gathered there.

Tharoor added that protocol and access levels could have an impact on India's weight in shaping discussions on critical issues, such as Gaza's reconstruction and long-term regional peace.

"And for reasons of protocol access alone, India's voice at the Summit on issues of reconstruction and regional stability may carry less weight than it could have. In a region reshaping itself, our relative absence is puzzling," Tharoor concluded.

MENAFN13102025007365015876ID1110191232



Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.