Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday invited vaccine manufacturers across the world to come and make vaccines in India as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in person for the first time since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
Referring to Zydus Cadila's COVID-19 vaccine, Modi said India has been successful in developing the first DNA vaccine in the world which can be administered to all above the age of 12 years. The prime minister also mentioned the intranasal vaccine being developed by Bharat Biotech for COVID-19, and invited vaccine manufacturers to make vaccines in India.
Modi said the pandemic has taught the world that the global economy needs to be more diversified. He said it is necessary to diversify global value chain and India's 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' campaign has been started with the same intention. India, the prime minister said, is emerging as a reliable partner for the global value chain.
Also Read: Zee-Sony merger: Zee promoters need to raise a large sum to hike holding in new entity
Modi said the danger of regressive thinking and extremism is continuously rising and called for making science-based, rational and progressive thinking the pillar of development. Without naming Pakistan, the prime minister said that the countries using terrorism as a political tool need to realise that it is a danger for them as well.
He also called the world to make sure that Afghanistan is not used for terrorist attacks. "It is absolutely essential to ensure that Afghanistan's territory is not used to spread terrorism and for terrorist activities. We also need to ensure that no country tries to take advantage of the delicate situation in Afghanistan and use it for its own selfish interests," Modi said.
Saying oceans are a shared heritage, Modi said ocean resources should be used, not abused. In an apparent reference to China, the prime minister said the world needs to come together to establish a rule-based order.
"Our oceans are also the lifeline of international trade. We must protect them from the race of expansion and exclusion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order," he said.
Also Read: Rakesh Jhunjhunwala portfolio: Big bull on his big bets on Tata Motors, Nazara Tech