Russian journalist Sergey Brilev got a taste of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s astuteness when he put forward a question to the latter regarding the exclusive G7 club of rich and powerful nations.
When asked if Modi would attend a G10 summit – that includes the original G7 members plus Russia, India and China – the Indian PM said if the question had come from the G7, he would have answered and that responding to Brilev would be meaningless.
It all started with Brilev, Deputy Director of the Russian “Rossiya” TV Channel and anchor of the “News on Saturday with Sergey Brilev” asking Japanese PM Shinzo Abe if he could give some insight into the recently concluded G7 meeting in Biarritz where US President Donald Trump had spoken in favour of re-admitting Russia back into the exclusive club. Abe, who along with Modi, Malayasian PM Mahathir Mohammed and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga was a guest speaker at the Fifth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, said that he could only give his views on the matter and not disclose what anyone else said.
Brilev then asked Russian president Vladimir Putin if he would go to the G7 meet hosted by the US. Putin responded saying that there was an invitation for all the G7 countries to come to Sochi for a summit. He then added: “(French) President (Emannuel) Macron has said that Western leadership is over (in the context of international institutions). I cant imagine an effective international organisation that works without India and China.”
Then Brilev turned to Modi with the question of whether he would go to such a G10 meeting.
In his response, Modi said: “It is true that in principle we support a multi-polar world and countries with similar and like minded views come together at various international fora. And they talk about various global issues. So each of these forums has its own importance.”
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