Negotiating the waters of international relations while advancing national interests remains a clear focus of India’s foreign policy.
(Photo: AP)
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is fast and loves to give as much as he gets. When Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Indian diplomats of being arrogant at a conference in London, Jaishankar replied in a tweet, “Yes, they counter the arguments of others. No, it is not called ego. This is called Confidence. And it’s called protecting national interests.” Then, at a press conference in Washington DC where his American counterpart was present, he was asked why India was importing oil from Russia after invading Ukraine, Jaishankar said. “You need to focus on Europe. Probably India’s oil purchases for the month from Russia will be less as compared to Europe afternoon,” he said.
In the third year of Modi 2.0, safeguarding India’s national interests and advancing them while ensuring global good in a turbulent international arena has been the hallmark of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). When successive waves of Covid ravaged India, the Ministry of External Affairs described the then Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla as “medical diplomacy”. This includes facilitating technical collaboration with leading manufacturers and suppliers to meet India’s needs, expediting the export process, besides expediting the export process of critical drugs and vaccines manufactured in India to combat COVID. was supplied for. The MEA had to engage in rescue operations during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last year and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, when more than 20,000 students were trapped in the battlefield, evacuating Indian civilians.
When it comes to pure diplomacy, the State Department can pat itself on the back for ensuring that India’s ties with the US were not hitched when Donald Trump transitioned from Joe Biden. Most importantly, Biden held the first significant individual summit of the Quadrilateral Dialogue, or Quad, which brought together the leaders of the US, Japan, India and Australia on a single platform in Washington DC in September last year. It sent a powerful message that a new stronghold was being built against a belligerent China. Last week, the four Quad nations took the next big step by launching the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum along with nine other Asia Pacific countries that contribute 40 percent to global GDP. Although it is far from a trade deal, the process of creating an alternative economic group to challenge China’s dominance in the region has begun. As important as the signing of two important trade agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates, it reflects India’s intention to expand its trade footprint, including a handful of similar trade agreements.
While India’s ties with China have eroded after Beijing’s border incursion in 2020, 15 rounds of talks between the two countries to restore status quo on the border have made some progress. India had more success with its other neighbours. For example, Sri Lankans appreciated India’s timely financial assistance during the ongoing political and economic crisis. Relations in Nepal are back on track, as they are in Maldives. The standoff with Pakistan continues, as India waits for a new ruling regime to ward off political and economic landmines. On the international stage, India has acquitted itself well by assuming the presidency of the Security Council and Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a session that brought a key resolution to enhance maritime security.
cover story , challenges ahead
As they begin their fourth year, Modi and his foreign affairs team face an uncertain world. With supplies of energy and goods disrupted by the Russo-Ukraine war, inflation has risen alarmingly, not to mention global food shortages and a possible global recession. Not only is it important for India to build up the resilience of its supply chain, but the crisis also provides an opportunity to lay the groundwork for becoming a viable economic alternative to China. Therefore, the country needs to further strengthen its partnership with major powers to hedge against risks. Successfully navigating international waters in the early hours while advancing its national interests will remain the thrust of its foreign policy for the next two years. It would take all of Jaishankar’s diplomatic dexterity to keep so many balls in the air without dropping them.