Trump’s G11 invitation a vote of confidence in India: Anil Wadhwa

The invitation by US President Donald Trump to India to attend the extended G7 meeting later this year and to include Asia’s third largest economy in the proposed G10/11 grouping underlined “a vote of confidence in India and its potential,” said Anil Wadhwa, a veteran diplomat who served as Secretary (East) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “India is a thriving democracy, like South Korea, and Australia which have also been invited to the G 7 meeting. India has been invited before to the G 7 meeting, and is not new to this forum,” said Mr Wadhwa ahead of the Webinar on “From G7 to G11: Unscrambling geopolitics of post-Covid world order,” organized by India Writes Network and India and the World magazine. “India has credentials as an emerging economy with one sixth of the world’s population, and an important player which needs to be consulted on issues facing the world today. This invitation is therefore a vote of confidence in India and its potential,” he said. Responding to President Trump’s G11 proposal in a telephonic conversation on June 2, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended him “for his creative and far-sighted approach, acknowledging the fact that such an expanded forum would be in keeping with the emerging realities of the post-COVID world.” Mr Modi underlined that India would be happy to work with the US and other countries to ensure the success of the proposed Summit. Placing the plan for expanding G7 against the larger strategic backdrop, Mr Wadhwa said: “The invitation comes against the backdrop of changed geopolitics and relationships around the world.” “The US China relationship has undergone a sea – change and has turned from competition to antagonism, riding on the back of the Covid 19 outbreak. The aggressive attitude by China in the South China Sea, in the Indian Ocean on the border with India and in the seas around Taiwan and Japan, has created new tensions in the region,” he said. India Writes Network, an emerging think tank and media-publishing platform focused on global affairs, has organised a Virtual Panel Discussion (webinar) on the theme: “From G7 to G11: Unscrambling post-Covid Geopolitical Alphabet,” on July 2 (6 pm IST). The webinar will explore the viability of expanding the G7 grouping to include emerging powers to reflect the ongoing shift in the global balance of power, which has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. The webinar, which will be moderated by Manish Chand, Founder-CEO and Editor-in-Chief, India Writes Network and India and the World, features some of the iconic figures in the world of foreign policy and strategic India. The speakers include: The speakers include: H.E. The Hon Barry O’Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India; Amb. Kanwal Sibal, Former Foreign Secretary, India’s former Ambassador to France and Russia; Amb. Richard Verma Vice-Chair & Partner, The Asia Group, US former Ambassador to India; Amb. Anil Wadhwa: India’s former ambassador to Italy, Thailand and Oman; Gautam Bambawale, India’s former ambassador to China, Pakistan & Bhutan