New Delhi did not invite its neighbors China and Pakistan to attend the virtual Voice of the Global South summit last Saturday, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishanakar has told the media.  

The third edition of the summit, which is a product of India’s presidency of the G20 last year, was attended by 123 nations. The event serves as a platform for countries in the Global South to discuss their common concerns and find solutions.

During a briefing with members of the press, Jaishankar confirmed on Sunday that India’s closest neighbors, China and Pakistan, had not been invited to take part in the virtual event despite them being a part of what is called the Global South. New Delhi has tense relations with both countries, largely as a result of unresolved territorial disputes. 

India’s tensions with China escalated in 2020 when they clashed at the disputed Galwan Valley region, resulting in casualties on both sides. Even though talks to iron out differences have yet to yield concrete results, both sides have expressed willingness to resolve their dispute in recent months.

New Delhi’s issues with Islamabad largely concern claims to Kashmir, a former princely state with a Muslim majority. The two neighbors have fought several wars over the region. Despite a ceasefire agreed in February 2021, sporadic clashes continue. New Delhi has also repeatedly accused Islamabad of “cross-border terrorism.” 

At the virtual event, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a ‘Global Development Compact’ to assist Global South nations in achieving balanced and inclusive growth using India’s experience in development. He said the new mechanism would not “crush needy countries under debt in the name of development finance.”

Among the key issues discussed at the Voice of the Global South summit were reforms of global governance institutions, including the United Nations. There was a “unanimous view” among developing nations that changes in the world body were “much delayed,” Jaishankar said. India has long been pressing for its inclusion as a permanent UN Security Council member. However, its membership proposal has been opposed by Beijing, which is one of the five permanent members of the council.

Food, health, energy security issues, and challenges linked to accessing resources were some of the core problems that were discussed at the virtual summit.

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