We hope the world will act in the spirit of enlightened self-interest.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that countries and people should make decisions that not only benefit themselves, but also help make the world a better place. It means being smart and looking out for your own interests, but in a way that is also good for everyone else. This type of thinking is called "enlightened self-interest" - it's about being selfish in a thoughtful and helpful way.
More quotes from Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The UN’s unique legitimacy flows from a universal perception that it pursues a larger purpose than the interests of one country or a small group of countries.
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The reality is that international institutions like the UN can only be as effective as its members allow it to be.
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We hope the world will act in the spirit of enlightened self-interest.
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People who ask us when we will hold talks with Pakistan are perhaps not aware that over the last 55 years, every initiative for a dialogue with Pakistan has invariably come from India.
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Global interdependence today means that economic disasters in developing countries could create a backlash on developed countries.
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No state should be allowed to profess partnership with the global coalition against terror, while continuing to aid, abet and sponsor terrorism.
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We believe that the United States and the rest of the international community can play a useful role by exerting influence on Pakistan to put a permanent and visible end to cross-border terrorism against India.
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The Bio-diversity Convention has not yielded any tangible benefits to the world’s poor.
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Our nuclear weapons are meant purely as a deterrent against nuclear adventure by an adversary.
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There was an implicit conviction that the UN would be stronger than the sum of its constituent member-states.
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You can change friends but not neighbours.
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Poverty is multidimensional. It extends beyond money incomes to education, health care, political participation and advancement of one’s own culture and social organisation.
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In the euphoria after the Cold War, there was a misplaced notion that the UN could solve every problem anywhere.
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The overwhelming public sentiment in India was that no meaningful dialogue can be held with Pakistan until it abandons the use of terrorism as an instrument of its foreign policy.
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