World leaders call for sustainable and inclusive growth at Vibrant Gujarat summit

World leaders got up together to call in one voice for the inclusive and sustainable development for a better tomorrow at the Vibrant Gujarat platform.

While the host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelled the vision of inclusiveness of small with big and poor with rich, the international leaders invited for the seventh edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit - 2015 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar showed togetherness in dealing with global poverty and economic woes.

Key UN priorities

Terming the year 2015 as most important year, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, stated that it was a target year to achieve the three most important priorities of the UN. First to achieve the millennium development goals.

"We have to accelerate our all resources and efforts to meet the target. The world leaders must shape and agree the post-2015 development agenda with focus on sustainable development. Thirdly, we have to agree a universal and meaningful climate change agreement in December in Paris."

"Gujarat is a prime example of how sustainability and private action are different aspects of the same issue. I call all India's business community to lead the transformation. We need sustainability and inclusive growth," the Secretary General said.

'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas'

Impressed with the rise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rise from a humble background of a tea vendor and now holding the highest office in the government, John Kerry, US Secretary of State, mentioned that Modi's campaign of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (participation of all, development for all) can be a win-win situation for all.

Kerry mentioned that the ties between US and India were getting stronger gradually, "Our economic relationship grows stronger in every respect. We share PM Modi's goal of increasing our countries annual trade five-fold in years ahead and we want to expand our commercial ties ...We can take this relationship to the new heights that we envision," he said.

Climate change concerns

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Ban Ki-moon on climate change concerns, Kerry mentioned that it was affecting crop production, economy and raising the cost of doing business.

"Together we can create an environment where all companies play a leading role in bringing cutting edge technology, equipment and capital know-how not just to India, but countless countries that need this growth and development," he said.

India's neighboring country, Bhutan lured investors from overseas and from India to invest in clean, green and sustainable industries in their country.

Economic pilgrimage

The Bhutan Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, termed the summit as an economic pilgrimage for him. "I will be going for a religious pilgrimage later this week to Varanasi and Bodha Gaya. But first I have come to the economic pilgrimage here," he said.

"This is the world's largest platform to exchange ideas and innovation. What is discussed here by political leaders, influences not just entire country, or economies in South Asia, but the rest of the world," he said at the gathering, which included representatives from over 100 countries, including political and business leaders.

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