By Associated Press
DAVOS: Citing an example of his engagements with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday made a strong pitch for diversifying engagements with all democracies of the world so that a multipolar world also becomes multilateral in nature.
Addressing the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022, he said, “We are realising what it means to live in a multipolar world. The bipolarity of the cold war is just as much part of the past, as is the relatively brief phase when the US was the sole remaining global power, even though the US will remain a dominant global power factor in the world”.
“Incidentally, I do not give any credence to the reports of a new bipolarity between the US and China either. Of course, China is a global player. But just as it should not mean that we should isolate China, neither does it give rise to claims of Chinese hegemony in Asia and beyond.”
He also said we cannot look away when we see human rights being violated anywhere in the world, including in the case of Xinxiang.
Citing a research report of PwC, he said that seven largest economies of the world in 2050, would include countries that are still described as emerging economies and that includes China, that includes India, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico.
He said what needs to be done is that a multipolar world also becomes a multilateral world.
Everyone against everyone has a very high level of risks for everyone and therefore it must be ensured that a multipolar world is not a world without rules.
“That kind of international order would not be possible without international solidarity. That is why we are investing in multiple partnerships. The buzzword is diversification. We need to engage with democracies of the world.
“That is the reason I have made a conscious effort to invite leaders of various countries including India to the G7 summit. Germany is also focussing on engaging with countries from the Indo-Pacific region and therefore I invited my friend and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Berlin earlier this month,” he added.
Talking about the war in Ukraine, Scholz said Germany is planning to end its dependence on Russian oil and gas.
“The energy crisis indeed poses significant challenges to an industrialised nation like Germany and therefore we plan to transform our economy and there is now even a bigger reason to move away from fossil fuels. We aim to remain an industrialised economy while becoming carbon neutral,” he said.
“One thing is clear that we cannot allow Putin to win his war and I am sure he will not,” he said.
