COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity to reshape world order, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented an opportunity to reshape the world order, and suggested that systems should be created that can address the "problems of today and challenges of tomorrow".

Addressing the Raisina Dialogue 2021 in a virtual address, Prime Minister Modi said that humty as a whole must be at the centre of our thinking and action.

"The mistakes and misdeeds of the past seven decades need not constrain our thinking for the future. The Covid-19 pandemic has presented us with an opportunity to reshape the world order, to reorient our thinking. We must create systems that address the problems of today and the challenges of tomorrow. And we must think of the entire humty and not merely of those who are on our side of the borders. Humty as a whole must be at the centre of our thinking and action," he said.

The Prime Minister said that India has tried to protect its 1.3 billion citizens from the pandemic and at the same time have also tried to support the pandemic response efforts of others.

He called for a collective response to defeat the pandemic. "We understand fully that mankind will not defeat the pandemic unless all of us, everywhere, regardless of the colour of our passports, come out of it. That is why, this year, despite many constraints, we have supplied vaccines to over 80 countries," he said.

Prime Minister Modi said that although humty has faced many infectious diseases, the world today is underprepared to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Our scientist, researchers and industry have answered some questions. Many solutions have emerged and many more are yet to come," he said.

He called on all participating countries in the dialogue to emerge as a powerful voice for a human-centric approach.

"Elsewhere while we may be used to having Plan A and plan B, there is no Planet B, only planet Earth. And so, we must remember that we hold this planet merely as trustees for our future generations," said the Prime Minister.

( With inputs from ANI )