India should strengthen economic ties with emerging economies, says Anand Sharma

NEW DELHI: Noting that economic engagement has become integral to bilateral and regional relations, Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma today said India should strengthen commercial engagements with emerging economies of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Discussing the challenges confronting India's foreign policy at the conference of Heads of Missions (HoM), Sharma called for embracing the globe through sound trade and investment linkages that are mutually beneficial.

The conference attended by 120 Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners from across the world today deliberated upon its non-traditional aspects including public and cultural diplomacy and the roles played by think tanks.

The three-day conference also discussed issues of multilateral negotiations on environment and climate change.

The last day of the conference was addressed by President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dr Karan Singh, Commerce, Industry and Textile Minister Anand Sharma and Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan.

Highlighting the importance of projecting India's soft power, Karan Singh described culture, politics and economy as the three facts of India's diplomatic engagement with the outside world.

Speaking on the challenges in the field of environmental diplomacy and climate change negotiations, Natarajan said that among the debates on sustainability, development and environment, India's priority should remain growth and development.

On the debate over green economy and green growth, she stated that there cannot be a one size fits all solution and advocated the need to have an independent perspective and asked for working towards an Indian model for green growth.