New Delhi: Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday said that India believes in freedom, democracy and will be vital in coming years. Speaking on the occasion of ABP Network's 'Ideas of India Summit', she further said that in UK India is the second largest investor into the corporate sector in Britain. Truss also said that what is important now at this crucial juncture for the world is India's voice on the world stage. "As a country that believes in freedom, believes in democracy and believes in self determination, you are going to be vital in next few years," she said.
Recalling her first visit to Mumbai, Truss said that her first visit was "struck by the energy and the excitement of the city". Truss said, "what I have seen ever since I have visited since is more energy, more excitment and more momentum." During the keynote address at the summit, Truss said, "we envy India in Western Europe.
Truss said that the reality is that the free world is in danger. Liz Truss recalled the time when the war between Russia and Ukraine began. She said, " the reality is that in the west we have been complacent, since the end of the cold war we thought that it will be the end of history. Somehow we can take freedom for granted that we can encourage countries to be more enterprise and as a result personal freedom and democracy would follow." Speaking further on the Russia-Ukraine war Truss said, "we need to learn the lessons. We can't take freedom for granted."
Speaking during the summit, Truss also said, we need to deepen our relationship with India and we need to work closely together economically. Prasing India's efforts towards developement, Truss said that UK needs to act like India is acting when it comes to infrastructure developement.
Truss said, "I want to see free democracies working together." Lizz Truss attacked China for its movement against Taiwan and said that we know President Xi Jinping has said that he wants to create one China and he wants to see Taiwan under Chinese control. I think that would be disastrous. Ithink that it will have implications not only for Taiwan but also other democracies that we simply do bot want to see distinguished." On being questioned about whether the west speaks in one voice and how can west be trusted, Liz Truss said that this is where India has a huge role to play. She said, " I don't think India is a follower, I think India is a leader. You are the world's biggest democracy, world's biggest country now by population and economic powerhouse and India as much as any other country knows the real threat that China posesso I believe India can have a huge debate on that and also use its economic power to influence the way we all deal with China".
Liz Truss is a leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party. She is Britain’s shortest-serving Prime Minister, lasting only 45 days. Truss had succeeded Boris Johnson as Prime Minister after ensuring a clear victory over Rishi Sunak. Queen Elizabeth II appointed Truss as the PM two days before her demise. Truss resigned as the UK PM in October 2022. Months after stepping down as the PM, Truss has been re-selected by the South West Norfolk Conservative Association as their candidate for the next general election.
ABP Network's 'Ideas of India Summit' is back. The theme of this year’s summit is 'Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out'. The second edition will take place on February 24-25. The two-day summit will be graced by several eminent personalities from all walks of life sharing their views on important issues ranging from the current climate to the crisis in the global economy.
The summit will see notable speakers such as Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Minister Of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, singers Lucky Ali and Shubha Mudgal, authors Amitav Ghosh and Devdutt Pattanaik, actresses Sara Ali Khan and Zeenat Aman, actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Manoj Vajpayee, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, sports stars Jwala Gupta and Vinesh Phogat, and many more.