Foreign policy focuses on W Asia in poll year

NEW DELHI: After single-mindedly pursuing better strategic ties with the US through the nuclear deal, the Congress-led government may have strategically shifted its foreign policy focus towards the Arab and Islamic world in an election year.

As the assembly elections get underway, and the Lok Sabha elections not too distant, there have been a flurry of visits to and from Islamic countries and also statements reiterating India���s support for the Palestinian cause.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with visiting Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Mr Singh in his statement highlighted India���s support to the Palestinian cause. ``I conveyed to the president India���s consistent support to the Palestinian cause, and the fact that peace and stability in West Asia are in India���s vital interest,������ said Mr Singh.

Mr Mubarak, in turn, said that he had `fruitful discussions��� on West Asia with Mr Singh. Mr Mubarak���s visit itself is significant as it comes after a gap of 25 years. Mr Mubarak���s visit has re-established ties with a country which is trying to forge a leadership role in Arab world.

The two leaders agreed to set up a strategic dialogue at the foreign minister-level, work together to combat terrorism and signed an extradition treaty along with four other pacts.

Similarly, the next big visit is also from a Islamic nation. Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit India from November 21 to 24. Mr Erdogan had expressed his country���s readiness to mediate between Iran and US president-elect Barack Obama.

Even outgoing visits have been mainly to Muslim countries as the government possibly intends to woo the Muslim community ���alienated��� by the government���s ���cosying up��� to the Bush administration. After India clinched the nuclear deal with the US, external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee undertook a visit to Iran last month. This was seen as an attempt to counter the ���US effect���.

This was followed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh���s visit to Oman and Qatar. Mr Singh had faced criticism from several quarters in the last couple of years for not undertaking a visit to the Gulf. In a ���course correction,��� Mr Singh visited the two Gulf countries this month and came back with a defence and security cooperation agreement with Qatar and a joint investment fund with Oman.

The Palestinian issue is also back on the radar. On Monday, the ministry of external affairs, taking a tough position against Israel, issued a statement condemning the spike in violence in the Gaza strip and calling for an immediate end to violence.