सत्यमेव जयते – Truth alone triumphs

This mantra of the Mundaka Upanishad Sacred Scripture is a universal guide for India throughout its millennia of history.

Everyone cannot have their own truth, because we all share one. At the same time, everyone has their own path to the truth.

Peace, love, justice, mutual respect and prosperity are the true values ​​that underlie the modern religious and social tenets of all civilised nations.

I had never been to India before my appointment as an Ambassador. This unique country impressed me at first sight, surprising with new emotions and feelings every day.

The true value of India is its people. Indians seem to have absorbed all the centuries-old wisdom and culture of their country. Calm and balanced, attentive and polite, deeply family-oriented. It may even seem somewhat archaic.

The truth is hidden behind this outer facade – today India develops technologies and production, culture and science in dynamic and rapid manner. “Make in India” is not just a slogan. This is the philosophy by which this country lives, ambitiously competing for regional and world leadership. 

This philosophy inspires Indians for even bigger and bolder projects and plans.

I witnessed the national elation and pride of citizens for their country when India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully completed its moon landing mission on August 23. Thus, India has courageously challenged the traditional leaders in space exploration and made it clear that its fourth place in this list is temporary.

According to the Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S.Jaishankar, this Indian success became the key and most discussed topic at the recent BRICS summit. Against this background, initiatives to expand the format of BRICS seemed secondary.

In today’s globalised world, it is quite difficult to achieve success on one’s own without joining unions and alliances. An affiliation with the weak always leads to weakness. On the contrary – alliance with the strong powers opens a window of new opportunities.

And this is not about military power – it is about economic security, industrial cooperation and sustainable development, which lead to mutual prosperity. True alliances are possible only between those who share common values, principles and ideals.

The formation of an alliance against someone is a counterproductive and destructive process due to the lack of positive motivation of its members and the reactive nature of the decisions they make.

The collapse of the Warsaw Pact, created in 1955 in opposition to NATO, confirms this axiom once again. Any attempts to revive the Soviet empire and build alliances to renew the global military confrontation between the East and the West are destined to failure.

The basic goal of BRICS was to create a platform for a mutually beneficial partnership, to ensure the financial and social stability of its members. Today, the alliance is already positioning itself as an alternative association of countries advocating multipolarity in international relations.

One day, because of the attempts of its particular members, this union could be transformed into a military-political alliance. The drift in this direction began in 2019 with the joint naval exercises of South Africa, China and Russia in Cape Town. In February this year, similar military exercises were held in Durban and Richards Bay in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

In this regard, it should be noted that military alliances between potential adversaries are not only impossible, but also dangerous from the point of view of national security. 

Will an alliance be genuine with a country that once suddenly decides to put a part of your territory on its map? Is it possible to trust in security guarantees and good intentions to solve bilateral relationship issues at the negotiating table, if the next day the guarantor-state comes to your land with a war? These are rhetorical questions.

Alliances created on the basis of common understanding and vision of the future are true.

The visit of the Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi to Washington in June this year was a historic and turning point in the relations between India and the US. Strategic agreements reached in the areas of technology transfer (including defence), trade, economic and security cooperation are unprecedented. The two powerful democracies are combining efforts to achieve common goals – the formation of a new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.

Today, India is ambitiously and justifiably claiming a seat in the UN Security Council. This ambition is completely understandable in view of India’s growth prospects in the next 50 years. But at the same time, it will challenge India’s traditional policy of neutrality and non-alignment. Leadership in the UN will require a clear position and does not involve uncertainty on complex political issues of the global agenda. Including issues of war and peace. Taking a seat at the UN Security Council solely to protect one’s national interests will not lead to the victory of truth.

Truth Alone Triumphs!

END OF ARTICLE