New Delhi, March 5 – Finnish President Alexander Stubb highlighted India and the Global South's growing role in shaping a cooperative, fair, and representative multilateral world order during Thursday's Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. In his address, Stubb stated that the world is changing, much like it did after World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. He noted that the era of a Western-dominated world is over.
"My thesis is very simple. I believe that the Global South will decide what the next world order will look like, and India, as a major power, will be a key player in determining whether the world will move towards a multipolar system characterized by deals, transactions, and spheres of interest, or towards a new, cooperative, fair, and representative multilateral world order based on international institutions, rules, and norms. The policy choices that India and other key powers make are truly important at this time of transition. They will set the direction for the future."
The 11th edition of the Raisina Dialogue, India's flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, commenced in New Delhi on Thursday, bringing together a diverse group of global leaders, policymakers, and strategic experts. President Stubb is the chief guest at the Raisina Dialogue.
Stubb mentioned that the balance of power has shifted, and the Global South has both demographic and economic advantages.
"What I mean is that we are in a country with growth rates of 7 percent, potentially reaching 2047. And at the same time, it is the largest democracy in the world. However, my argument is that the era of a Western-dominated world is over, and that is the disruption. This is obvious, but it will take time for the West to fully understand this. Nostalgia can provide lessons, but it rarely provides solutions. Therefore, I believe that a good starting point for any analysis is to deal with the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be," he added.
Stubb emphasized that violence is being used as a tool of foreign policy around the world. He spoke about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, West Asia, and Sudan, and also mentioned his conversations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the UAE, and the Emir of Qatar.
"We live in a time of power politics, where might seems to make right. Violence has once again become a common tool of foreign policy, used around the world with very little restraint. In Ukraine, Russia is trying to subjugate a sovereign country through war, which is a blatant violation of international law. The outcome of this war will have major consequences, not only in Europe but globally. It is in all of our interests that the outcome does not reward the aggressor. In the Middle East, the situation is rapidly evolving. We are now witnessing a regional escalation, with countries pushing for diplomatic solutions.
"I had the opportunity to speak to the President of the United Arab Emirates yesterday and the Emir of Qatar today, while also getting insights from the Prime Minister of India on his perspective. In Sudan, the ongoing power struggles and regional rivalries have led to one of the deadliest conflicts of our time, forcing millions of people to leave their homes. The days when international politics were predictable are gone. Now, each new day may bring new surprises and challenges. This is, of course, interesting for those of us who deal with international relations, but in terms of global stability, it remains a challenge," said Stubb.
He also quoted External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar's earlier remarks about Europe and endorsed them.
"One of my favourite foreign ministers, Dr. Jaishankar, has said, 'Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems, but the world's problems are not Europe's problems.'...I wholeheartedly agree with you, Dr. Jaishankar. What we need to recognize is that the examples I mentioned – Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan, along with many other wars and conflicts – are all our problems."
"We need to work together to solve them. We can see the effects of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine on fertilizers and oil prices, and we are now seeing the same thing with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Does this mean that the liberal world order, which we created after World War II, is dead? No, it doesn't. The fact that the rules are being broken does not make the whole system null and void. Just as someone getting caught for speeding makes speeding limits irrelevant, if we give up on international rules, the current world order will collapse. But, we are far from that," remarked Stubb.
