MEA: No contradiction in barring Soros & UN fund

New Delhi, April 13

The Centre has pushed back reports claiming a contradiction in the Centre’s position over contributions to a UN Democracy Fund for at least 68 projects linked worldwide to the Open Society Foundation of American billionaire George Soros, who External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said was a “rich, old, opinionated and dangerous” man.

Dealing with the larger point of democracy promotion programmes by Soros versus the UN Democracy Fund, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said these were separate issues and an attempt was being made to join the two.

“As a member of the UN, India participates and promotes various activities. These include contributing to a number of voluntary funds and programmes of the UN. The UN Democracy Fund is one of these. It receives funding from nearly 45 member-states, including India. The UNDF allocates funds received to numerous projects across the world that are executed by various organisations. In this process it is guided by UN norms and procedures,” explained Bagchi, suggesting that India had little say over where the funds went.