Published 07:16 IST, June 4th 2020
COVID-19: European leaders see India as an alternative amid US-China trade tensions
French MEP Thierry Mariani at a webinar said that countries across the world were relying too heavily on China and need to look for alternate markets.
During a recent webinar, Members of the European Parliament and experts expressed their belief that the time has come for the European Union to look for alternatives to China. According to reports, many European leaders participating in the discussion said that India being a diplomatic nation would serve as a good partner for European investments.
Europe must search for alternatives
As per reports, the web event was organised by the Economic Development Foundation, Istanbul (IKV) which is a non-governmental research organisation that specialises in European Union and Turkey-EU relations. A member of the European Parliament, Thierry Mariani, said that countries across the world were relying too heavily on China and need to look for alternate markets in the post-COVID era.
He said, "For me, this new Silk Road is just one opportunity but it cannot be said that it is the only opportunity. If we want to have peace and good development then we should have initiatives with other countries. China is an important country but India is also an important country and would become a more and more important country."
The Former Minister of State for Transport of France added that India is part of the peace pipeline initiative in Central Asia and emphasised that Europe should attempt to link Iran, Pakistan, and India.
Former Deputy Foreign Minister od Hungary, Istvan Szent Ivanyi added that Europe does not need to cut all ties with China abruptly but should first begin to explore options and possible future opportunities in India. He also said, "India has huge potential -- both political and economic. It is an important and reliable partner and it can be an alternative to China. I do not say cut all ties and bonds as that would be unrealistic but I think we have yielded something and have to look for the alternatives. India seems to be very good alternative in the future and I think we can use this opportunity."
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been widely criticised for its role in the spread of the virus and has been accused of not sharing enough information about the disease and its initial outbreak. Over 6,389,896 people worldwide have been infected with the deadly coronavirus, with over 383,219 people losing their lives to COVID-19.
(With ANI Inputs: Image Credit - ANI)
Updated 07:16 IST, June 4th 2020