PM Modi raises maritime safety at G7, says world faces ‘shortage of trust’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for rebuilding trust in the global order and said the world today suffers not from a shortage of resources but from a "shortage of trust".

Addressing an outreach session of the G7 Summit on the theme "Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity", Modi said trust has become the most important strategic asset in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world.

"Today the world does not suffer from a shortage of resources; it suffers from a shortage of trust. And the future of our partnerships depends on building this trust," he said.

The prime minister's remarks came amid heightened tensions in West Asia and two days after Iran and the US agreed on a peace deal.

India, along with Brazil, Egypt, Kenya and South Korea, was invited as a partner country to the summit hosted by France in the resort town of Evian.

Modi said energy security, food security, health security, cyber security and economic prosperity can no longer be determined within national borders alone, making partnerships increasingly important.

"Partnerships succeed only when trust is at their core," he said, stressing that technology and supply chains should not be used as weapons but for the global good.

The prime minister said global institutions must be capable of meeting the aspirations of all countries and noted that the trust built over decades through international cooperation has come under strain.

Modi said India has always viewed the world as one family and its efforts are guided by the principle of "welfare and happiness for all".

The prime minister also urged developed nations to move beyond the donor-recipient framework in dealing with countries of the Global South.

"Their expectation is not support, but partnership. They do not want to be beneficiaries of global development, but participants in it," he said.

Calling for equal partnerships based on dignity rather than dependency, Modi said such an approach would help lay a strong foundation for sustainable development for future generations.

Modi reiterated India's position that lasting solutions to conflicts can only emerge through dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation.

"India firmly believes that the lasting solution to tensions and wars in different parts of the world is possible only through dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation," he said.

Welcoming progress in peace efforts in West Asia, Modi noted that countries in the region had suffered losses of lives and property because of the conflict.

Without referring to any specific incident, Modi stressed the need to ensure the safety of seafarers and secure maritime routes.

"Global maritime trade connects all countries. The safety of seafarers is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea routes remain secure and seafarers can carry out their work without fear," he said.

His remarks came less than a week after three Indian seafarers were killed when the tanker MT Settebello was attacked by a US aircraft near the coast of Oman.

The incident prompted New Delhi to lodge formal protests with Washington.