The challenges ahead for India’s foreign policy naturally depend on what matters to the country, its priorities and how it defines the goals of its foreign policy. The primary task of India's foreign policy is to ensure an external environment that is conducive to India’s transformation and development. At the risk of over simplifying, what are
the issues and what kind of foreign policy would enable India to eradicate poverty, to grow at 8-10 percent and to transform India into a moderately well off State where its
people can realize their potential?
If these are accepted as the goals, there are three clusters that need to be focused upon -
1. First, it is critical for India to attain a peaceful and prosperous periphery. The neighbourhood can be defined in different senses. It can be expanded to include various countries but basically India needs a peaceful periphery within which it can then develop. Unless India has a peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood, it will not be able to perform its own primary task of socio-economic development. So the highest priority must be accorded to India's approach to its neighbourhood.
2. The second is India's relationship with the major powers, all of whom impinge upon India.
3. The third would be the issues of the future, issues like food, water, energy security, and the environment, including climate change.
So what I would like to do is to run through these three
clusters of issues and then listen to your comments and
answer any questions.
As I said, the fi rst area of focus for us is really our
own neighbourhood, for unless we have a peaceful and
prosperous neighbourhood we will not be able to perform
our own primary task of socio-economic development. So
we must, therefore, accord the highest priority to what we
do with our immediate neighbours.
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