India speaks, world listens: Puri

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 22

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today underscored that assertive foreign policy pursued by the Narendra Modi government was making the world pay greater attention to India.

“I have absolutely no doubt whether it comes to an issue of trade or security cooperation. India has not only arrived on the global stage but arrived great,” Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Puri said in his address on foreign policy at the SGTB Khalsa College here.

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He said manifestation of the assertive foreign policy was visible when Modi visited the US last June and met 150 chief executive officers of top 21 multinational companies there. “By the importance given to that meeting, it can be said that when India speaks, the world listens,” he said at a lecture on “Changing Dynamics of India’s Foreign Policy: Some Reflections on Diplomatic Engagements and External Ties”.

On Doklam, he said: “Earlier, we used to agree with what China wanted but this time the PM and the security agencies demonstrated that we are capable of standing of our clout. This is new assertive India.”

He also explained how the effective foreign policy had worked out long-standing border issue with Bangladesh. “Our neighbour Pakistan traditionally uses terrorism as an instrument of policy. But by mobilising the international community pressure on China, the situation has been improved,” he said.

He said a delegation of 1,267 members of sanction committee of the United Nation’s Security Council was visiting Pakistan to secure their compliance on terror-related issues. “Earlier, we used to invite head of a foreign country as a chief guest on Republic Day every year. This time, in an unprecedented move, our foreign policy and our establishment have invited heads of all the Asian countries on the occasion. This is another development of new intensification of relations with foreign countries.”