Here's what experts had to say at WION Global Summit 2020

Ram Madhav, National General Secretary, BJP & Board of Governors, India Foundation

Nationalism:

Nationalism in history and seen various phases, until the advent of Hitler and Mussolini. Today, the word has again started finding its own importance and its own relevance.

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In the 21st Century, nationalism should be protecting the interest of one's own country.

As far as India is concerned, we have looked at nationalism with a beneficial vision, it is for the benefit of an individual in the larger interest. We believe in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam'.

National pride is there in every country in the world, in a connected world with technology, travel connecting us, Nations National Pride exist, the border will lose their importance.

Multilateralism has an important role to play, global institutions created in the last century have to undergo major reforms for their own survival.

Question is for them, whether they want to remain relevant or not. Geneva Conventions is being violated by nations, only be revisiting the policies. Nations in the east have become the powerhouses, why is India not finding a place in UNSC.

China

We take a stand on United Nation related resolutions based on the situations at those junctures. India has taken stands on different occasions, we have taken different positions on different resolutions.

Jammu and Kashmir

The situation in J&K projected by certain sections andliberals don't have faith in democratic institutions, their faith is in anarchy, the word used is J&K is a "conflict zone", Kashmir Valley that has seen violence thanks to our neighbour, Kashmir Valley has 3 Parliamentarian Seats in Indian Parliament, 2 Seats have been peaceful except for one.

The false narrative of Kashmir of conflict, 8 months have passed not even single big violence has taken place. Since propaganda is going we offered our international friends to see it themselves.

Ambassadors who got there came and told me, there were traffic jams in Srinagar City. 5-6 leaders are still in detention, even they will be let off sooner or later.

Manoj Ladwa, Founder and CEO, India Inc

Nationalism

I don't see a conflict between Nationalism and multilateralism. The nationalism is deeply rooted in "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"Brexit is a classic example where the British recognised the world outside the EU.

Fundamentally EU failed to reform, UN, World Bank, IMF failed to reform. These institutions need to reform. India should now be Rule Maker, not Rule Taker.

General Joginder Jaswant Singh, Former Chief of Army Staff

Nationalism

Only the Indian Ocean is named after India. This is the sphere of influence of India. India is not just India what you see now, India is Hindustan, Al-Hind by Arabs, French and Chinese also named India.
China has a huge land-mass called Tibet.

India's neighbourhood policy

Our region is the most Nuclearised Region of the world. The risk is there, today we want to a peaceful world. The world is working out on dynamics by stabilising with a number of countries.

Pradeep Vasant Naik, Air Chief Marshal (Retd)

India's neighbourhood policy

India in its present moment defines good relations with neighbours as its prime object of foreign policy. Perception of India interfering in internal issues of other countries has gone down. There is a race of power between the US and China, India is now beginning to grow to inspire smaller countries to participate in major affairs.

Kashmir issue

Kashmir issue is misunderstood by a lot of people around the world. Kashmir has been with us for the last so many years. There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that Kashmir is not an integral part of India. Whether the world supports it or not it will remain an integral part of India.

Aleqa Hammond, First Female Prime Minister of Greenland

Climate Change

It's very important that we talk about climate change at all levels, especially with our children- because they are the ones that are going to be most impacted. For anyone following News should know climate change is happening big time. The ice cap is 3kms thick, the biggest ice mass after Antarctica. The ice cap is melting all year round, the temperature is rising in Greenland, this is serious matter. It is changing our economy, our perspective of how the world is working.

Venessa Nakate, Founder & Climate Activist

Climate Change

The issue of Climate Change needs to get all of us worried not just young people. When you look around you see the devastating impact of climate change. As for India, last year the temperature went over 56 degrees. Not all of us depend on agriculture, but those directly related with farming are suffering.

People need to stop running away from the topic of climate change. There are people who act interested but when solutions are pitched, they back out. We need our voices, as it is powerful and can bring a change.

James Terry, Professor of Geosciences

Climate Change

People there are facing very real threats. The islands in the South Pacific are facing sea-level rise, changing ocean temperature, stress on groundwater, the stress of available land and available resources are limited. There are two kinds of actions that can be taken- mitigation and adaptation.

Often new solutions are trial and error, they are supposed to be given a fair attempt. We have to make sure we are behind science and science is well-funded.

Reham Khan, Journalist, Commentator and Broadcaster

Pakistan-US Relationship

I think the minute I saw US President Trump sitting along Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, saying he wants to be a mediator, that was the moment it all went wrong. If anyone can mediate it can only be China, every single time India-Pakistan has had any issue, China has stayed neutral, even though China is an all-weather friend to Pakistan, China has not become a party to India-Pakistan dispute.

Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan

Relationship with the USA has taken a nosedive since 2011. Raymond Davis, CIA agent was arrested and the relationship took a worse nosedive. US President Donald Trump has said many a time that he is ready to mediate between India and Pakistan knowing the fact that India would never agree to mediation, this cannot be without a reason, he is reckless but not mad.

There are only two countries that can play a role, China, India will not accept. The US has a slight tilt towards India.

Bashir Khan, Former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

Pakistan is a market of $200 million-plus, economics is a factor politically. The American position globally speaking and mostly in our part of the world, it is because of the China factor as the US is viewing the region. The states of South Asia has lost the capacity to view the region.

The Political systems, economic systems are dysfunctional. Those challenges are arising from society's challenges.

Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Former President Club de Madrid and First Female President of Latvia

Social media has had a great deal of influence in protests across the world. Participation of young people is part of the democratic process. In many parts of the world, one would wish to encourage the youth to participate, young people, are our priority.

Mariya Didi, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Maldives

Rising Islamic radicalism in Maldives

Radicalism anywhere is not good. Peaceful co-existence is the solution in the Maldives for radicalism and we are trying very hard to implement it. The Maldives earlier used to be one of the most peaceful countries. Our country has 187 islands with people dispersed all over and it is a lot of work. The first thing we have done is acknowledging there is a problem and then identifying it following it coming up with a solution of co-existence.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

India-China relations

Sri Lanka and India share the same heritage, even as Colombo has friendly relations with Beijing. We were first to sign a trade agreement.

Highlighting the sudden rise of China in economic, military and political spheres, he said that is an era which is witnessing the end of western dominance. It's only China that can face trade war and coronavirus simultaneously.