India stands 'tall and proud' on its own, has neutral policy: Kamboj on NATO pressure

India as a country holds its own independent position, ”stands tall and proud on its own” and focuses on its relations with the competing international blocs solely with no external influence, India’s Permanent Representative at the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, said on Friday. India is a big country, she noted, speaking at the 15-nation UN Security Council for which India assumed presidency on Thursday. India is a big country, and nobody pushes it around, India's Permanent Representative asserted, responding to Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s claims that NATO, the Western military alliance, was pushing New Delhi towards an anti-Moscow and anti-Beijing alliance. 

Stressing India’s multi-dimensional, and independent policy, Kamboj said: "India is a bigger country. It stands tall and proud on its own. "We do have a relationship with Russia, an important relationship with Russia... And as far as the relationship with the US is concerned, it's a comprehensive strategic partnership, which has never been closer, tighter or stronger than it is today,” she iterated. 

"We have been very clear and consistent right from the outset, we have spoken in one voice, that we are for peace. Peace is also a right. And we favor that diplomacy and dialogue,” said Kamboj.

"To this end, our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is speaking to both sides, our Foreign Minister (S. Jaishankar) is speaking to both sides.We are among the few countries, dare I say this, which is speaking to both."

Kamboj reminds UNSC of PM Modi's remark: 'This is not an era of war'

Kamboj emphasized that India’s position on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with Russia has never been a “passive” one. She reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s remark to Russia's President Vladimir Putin that “this is not an era of war", and said that it "has received global acceptance" and was also included in the G20's recent declaration. She noted that India and Russia share a diplomatic and historic partnership prior to the war. In the course of the conflict in Ukraine, India has been very clear and consistent right from the outset. “We have spoken in one voice that we are for peace. Peace is also a side and we favor diplomacy and dialogue,” Kamboj told the UNSC. She also reminded that India’s maintained its neutral approach and has pushed for a diplomatic way forward for both the warring sides.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have been“speaking to both sides,” she noted. She also emphasized that India was among the few countries that were pushing for a dialogue on both sides, owing to its independent foreign policy and respect for the internal affairs of the respective countries. 

Furthermore, Kamboj stressed that India’s lines of communication with the West and to Russia can be useful. The Ukrainian issues that were not included in the Council's programme of work will be brought up, Kamboj further assured. West plans to bring the issue of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine as early as next week, as per diplomatic sources, according to PTI. India has also been actively sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine. It has dispatched 12 medical consignments and financial assistance to build educational institutions since war ensued, reminded Kamboj, stressing India’s neutral role.