India has emerged as the world’s “second democratic superpower” and has the potential to “substitute for China” as a trusted part of global supply chains, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Saturday, Mr Abbott said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “cuts a pretty big figure on the world stage” and could influence many things that are happening around the world.
“When I was Prime Minister, I frequently said that India was the world’s emerging democratic superpower. I now think that India under Prime Minister Modi has well and truly emerged. It is the world’s second democratic superpower. I think right now we need more democratic superpowers and if there’s any unpredictability in the American role, I think that it’s important that India is an important bulwark of democracy, not just here in the subcontinent, but globally as well,” Mr Abbott said.
Asked whether India could play a role in bridging the tensions between the US and Europe, Mr Abbott praised Prime Minister Modi for his “not an era of war” comment on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“I think Prime Minister Modi cuts a pretty big figure on the world stage. And I think that, should he choose to use it, he certainly could influence many things that are happening around the world right now. I’m certainly conscious of the fact that a couple of years ago, at a conference with President (Vladimir) Putin of Russia, he really took the Russian dictator to task for Putin’s use of war as a national policy. And I thought that was a really fine thing for President Modi to say, particularly to President Putin’s face,” he said
“As the world’s most populous nation, as the world’s fifth largest economy, as a country which has so much potential to, I think, substitute for China, as a trusted part of global supply chains, India has great and growing influence, and I think it should use its influence for good,” he added.
‘Russia Started War’
On the very public argument between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, the former Prime Minister said what happened was “deeply regrettable”.
“I do think that this deal between the Americans and the Ukrainians should go ahead. I hope it goes ahead at the earliest possible opportunity. I would like to see an end to the war in Ukraine. I think we would all like to see an end to the war in Ukraine, but it’s got to be accompanied by serious security guarantees. Because, let’s never forget, this war started when Russia invaded. And if the war’s going to stop, it can’t stop in ways which give a victory to aggression,” he insisted.
Trade With India vs Trade With China
Discussing Australia-India ties, Mr Abbott said the two countries have grown closer because of the Quad grouping – which also includes the US and Japan – the growing Indian diaspora in Australia, and increasing trade. He also said that while India could be trusted to honour deals, trade with China was based on the political interests of the country’s government.
“India’s exports to Australia have been increasing at twice the rate of India’s exports to the wider world. And I think that India has the opportunity to be a much larger source of Australian exports of raw materials, particularly to feed the ‘Make in India’ campaign of President Modi. And I think that India can substitute for China in our critical supply chains because you know when you do a deal with India, you can trust India to honour it,” the former prime minister said.
“But what we discovered a couple of years back with our China trade was that it could be turned on and off like a tap to suit the political interests or the strategic interests of the Chinese Communist government. So I think that the potential for vastly bigger two-way trade is there. Australia is also, I think, an important potential source of strategic minerals to India in the years and decades to come,” he emphasised.
‘Sky’s The Limit’
On whether India and Australia could explore new avenues for ties, Mr Abbott said there is an “ease and comfort” in the relationship, influenced by the shared love for cricket and Indian and Australian soldiers having fought together, which can be built on.
The former prime minister also emphasised that the Quad has the potential to be as important as the Five Eyes partnership between America, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which he described as “probably the most significant strategic partnership in the post-war world”.
