Foreign affairs: Revive US ties, find a friend in China, push Pak on 26/11 trial

As India's economy foundered, her global outreach became feeble. Narendra Modi has expressed interest in restructuring both India's foreign ministry and its foreign policy.

He has also stressed on making the ministry of external affairs ( MEA) more focused on economic diplomacy.


Lately, India's ties with key partner countries has lacked energy. This has to be corrected. MEA's top priorities are: to help the security establishment overcome its fear about China. That would help push Chinese investment and create a partnership with the Asian giant.

India's Look East policy has petered out into a "Glance East" Policy. India's economic and strategic moorings are in Asia. Therefore, MEA will have to look at advancing Indian interests in Asia, including countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore and in Australia -countries that are also anxious about China's territorial moves.

MEA needs to deal with Pakistan upfront. Modi has struck the right chord by inviting Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in. But will he be able to make Pakistan quickly complete the Mumbai attacks trial and act against Indiaspecific terror groups? By his own admission, only that would open up ties with the neighbour.

Focus on other neighbours like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. As a regional bloc, South Asia is the least integrated in the world. Injecting faith and trust by opening up trade and business would change the situation.

Build trade missions in key embassies to facilitate Indian economic interests. A good way to approach this would be to absorb the international trade division of Commerce ministry into MEA.