United Nations, Jan 30 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that he sees “a lot of positive expectations” from the recent free trade agreement between India and the European Union, and it could contribute to global multi-polarity.

On Tuesday, India and the EU announced the free trade agreement, which EU President Ursula von der Leyen called the “mother of all trade deals”.

During his annual news conference to discuss his priorities for the year, Guterres stressed the need for multipolarity at a time when global power is being subsumed by two powers, which he said were the United States and China.

“Global problems will not be solved by one power calling the shots. Nor will they be solved by two powers carving the world into rival spheres of influence,” he said.

For a stable world with sustained peace where development is spread equitably, he said, “we need to support multi-polarity”.

“It is important to accelerate, deliberately and with determination, multipolarity – one that is networked, inclusive by design, and capable of creating balance through partnerships – partnerships in trade, in technology, and in international cooperation,” he said.

“We need to support a … set of relations among different countries. And I see with a lot of positive expectations, recent trade agreements — you have the EU with Mercosur (the South American trade bloc), you have the EU with Indonesia, EU with India,” he said.

Through such networks of “international cooperation among a progressively larger group of countries and entities” that lead to “a true multi-polar world” where “the values of the Charter of the United Nations can prevail,” he said.

–IANS

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