Bhubaneswar, May 4: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Bhubaneswar on Saturday said Odisha and its culture hold significance for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Showcasing the replica of the Konark Wheel in G-20 meet shows Prime Minister’s love for the state’s art and culture, said Jaishankar at a press meet here.
According to Jaishankar, the G2O was celebrated as a festival across the country and our intention was to showcase before the world, the rich culture and legacy of various states of India and to boost tourism.
In the last 10 years, Odisha has received Rs 18 lakh crore assistance from the Centre, he said and added that 20 passport support centres have come up in Odisha during Prime Minister Modi's tenure.
On US President Joe Biden's "Xenophobic" remark for India, Japan, China, and Russia, Jaishankar said, "We are the most open society, till date I have never seen such an open society, such a pluralistic society, such a diverse society, so I would say that we are actually not just not xenophobic, we are the most open, most pluralistic and in many ways, the most understanding society in the world.Secondly, there was some talk about economic performance, you know our GDP is at 7 percent. You check other people's GDP, check the growth rate and you will get the answer."
On Nepal to introduce new currency note featuring disputed territories with India, the External Affairs Minister said, "I saw that report. I have not looked at it in detail, but I think our position is very clear. With Nepal, we were having discussions about our boundary matters through an established platform. And then in the middle of that, they unilaterally took some measures on their side. But by doing something on their side, they are not going to change the situation between us or the reality on the ground."
On the Israel-Iran war, he said, "In the entire Gulf area and parts of Western Asia, war conditions and tensions prevail... Nearly 90 lakh Indian citizens live in the Gulf region. It is our responsibility to look after them... The rulers of Gulf countries value PM Narendra Modi so much that during COVID, they gave preferential treatment to Indians... Now, 21 Indian Navy ships have been deployed in the region and their job is to maintain peace and guard the merchant ships. In the diplomatic area, when the two sides engaged with each other for a brief period, I contacted the Foreign Ministers of the two nations and gave PM Narendra Modi's message to them that the world wants them to not go ahead with the war, and that they should tone down the tensions responsibly. And this is what happened."
