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This is an archive article published on October 2, 2015
Foreign policy must focus on economic diplomacy: Manmohan Singh
“It is an era of transition and consolidation for India. Infrastructure, education, development of skills, universal access to health-care must be at the core of national policies,” Manmohan Singh said.
Manmohan Singh was speaking at the valedictory session of the three-day conference on ‘Co-operative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia’, organised by Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID). (Source: Express file photo by Renuka Puri)
Stating that the 21st century will see the rise of China and India, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the country’s foreign policy should primarily focus on economic diplomacy, “where co-operation and competition will go hand-in-hand”.
“It is an era of transition and consolidation for India. Infrastructure, education, development of skills, universal access to health-care must be at the core of national policies. The primary focus of India’s foreign policy has to remain in the realm of economic diplomacy,” he said. Dr Singh added that it is important that India takes full advantage of low oil prices to accelerate the pace of its economic development, as the low prices would not last in the long run.
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He was speaking at the valedictory session of the three-day conference on ‘Co-operative Development, Peace and Security in South and Central Asia’, organised by Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID), Sector 19, which concluded on Thursday.
On China’s rise, Dr Singh said that being the second largest economy in the world today, China has the wherewithal to implement widespread modernisation. “The challenge before the world is to create a global environment conducive to a peaceful rise of China,” he said.
Speaking of the subcontinet, Dr Singh said that the strained relations between India and Pakistan have been a major factor in preventing the growth of co-operative regional development strategies in the region.
“India and Pakistan need sustained engagement to realise the vast potential of liberalisation of trade and investment in the South Asian region. Scholars of South Asia need to ponder as to why we in the region move so slowly in matters of strengthening trade and infrastructure linkages when the benefits to our peoples and governments are so obvious?” said the economist.
Emphasizing that India is on the threshold of change, provided the right policies are adopted, Dr Singh said: “South and Central Asian countries are India’s natural regional partners and engaging them must be at the core of our economic diplomacy”.
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