Inaugurates Raisina Dialogue 2018 in the presence of PM MODI, FM Sushma Swaraj
Israel's Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday night inaugurated the Raisina Dialogue 2018, warning that Islamic radicalisation threatens to upset established international systems.
Delivering the inaugural address to an overflowing audience, the Prime Minister stressed the need to strengthen the political alliances which can take on “Islamic radicalisation which threaten to upset international systems.”
The Raisina Dialogue 2018, themed on ‘Managing Disruptive Transitions: Ideas, Institutions and Idioms,’ is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation.
The Israeli Prime Minister said his country is trying to strengthen political alliances with like-minded countries across the world, from America, Latin America, Africa, Australia and Asia, especially with democracies.
He emphasised that Israel’s relationship with India is very special and praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking care to take it to new level.
Mr. Netanyahu’s address was listened to by Mr. Modi who sat along with Foreign Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj in the special front row.
Saying the weak do not survive, but only the strong, and only the strong are respected, Mr. Netanyahu said strong territorial power is very important and for that the country needs to develop a strong economy. He said without a strong economy, it is difficult to have territorial strength.
He said while Israel has developed these, in India, Prime Minister Modi is trying hard to develop that. He noted that under Mr. Modi’s leadership, the government has improved the ease of doing business index by 42 steps — which is important to strengthen the economy.
Mr. Netanyahu said the government should “cut the bureaucracy” to make doing business easier and move up free market.
Though Mr. Modi was present at the inaugural as a rare gesture, he did not speak. And this was mentioned by Foreign Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj as a rare occasion when she delivered the vote of thanks.
She also mentioned India’s strengthening relations with Israel and improving cooperation especially in the field of agriculture and water.
Earlier, welcoming the Prime Ministers of India and Israel and Smt. Sushma Swaraj, ORF Chairman Mr. Sunjoy Joshi said it was two years ago under the initiative of Prime Minister Modi’s government that this Dialogue was curated as a platform where the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, could discover their interdependence in forging a common, shared future for the world.
He said the pace of change induced by technological innovation is unprecedented. It is even transforming the way humans interact, and the way businesses and communities are organised, affecting the responses of societies and nations in unpredictable ways.
Mr. Joshi said Prime Minister Netanyahu leads a nation that is no stranger to volatility. Yet has successfully managed to provide growth, prosperity and security to its people in a turbulent region. From technological innovations that have ensured food and water security in a parched environment, to creating one of the most vibrant start-up ecosystems nurtured by a world class defence and technology industry, the prowess of Israel has made light of the greatest challenges to the security and well-being of its people.
“We indeed find ourselves in a world which promises exponential jumps in knowledge systems — possible through previously unimaginable collaborative networks across diverse cultures, societies and nations — intelligent collaborative networks that link man and machine. Sometimes, these can be a source of disruption, but managed well they can be a source for exponential growth,” Joshi said.
“And at the Raisina Dialogue we celebrate this diversity.”
Ministerial delegations from many countries like Australia, Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Poland are attending this year’s conference. The ministers include Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry, Mr. Christopher Pyne, Indonesia’s Minister for Defence Mr. Ryamizard Ryacudu, Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Russia’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Igor Morgulov, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign affairs, Mr. Maliki Osman, Sweden’s State Secretary for International and EU Affairs to Prime Minister, Mr. Hans Dahlgren, Poland’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marek Magierowski, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Kazem Sajjadpour, Hungary’s Minister of State for Security Policy and International Cooperation, Mr. Istvan Mikola, Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vasantha Senanayake, and Mauritius’ Minister of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Premdut Koonjoo.
Former President of Afghanistan, Mr. Hamid Karzai, former Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harder and former Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr. Carl Bildt, are among more than 150 speakers and over 550 delegates from around 90 countries who are participating in the Dialogue.
Speech address by ORF Chairman Sunjoy Joshi
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