MEA culpa

The ministry of external affairs MEA is something of an anomalous institution. Economic relations between different countries ought to be a matter for the finance/commerce ministries. Real strategic issues are for defence-related branches of government. Great policy breakthroughs require the political backing that only heads of government can muster. It is said of foreign ministries that they are largely a matter of talk. When it comes to action, other branches of government have to come in.

The recent tension between the MEA and other ministries raises difficult questions about its role. The MEA has expressed reservations about Tatas investing in Bangladesh. It has seriously objected to the terms on which Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar apparently persuaded Bangladesh to join in a pipeline project from Myanmar. Now it is reluctant to endorse an attempt by Indian companies to bid for shares in Pakistan8217;s oil companies. Its refrain: we need to settle bilateral issues between India and its neighbours before we can embark on such projects. But this is the problem. Bilateral ties between hostile parties are seldom changed by talking alone. They are altered more indirectly by creating webs of interdependence. India8217;s energy forays abroad are about securing reliable energy. And we can debate whether they will achieve the desired result. But these attempts may also have the indirect consequence of creating vested interests that have a stake in keeping peace. That is one reason why the pipeline from Iran is generating interest. If we waited for bilateral issues to be resolved before exploring such avenues, we would get neither economic progress nor improved relations with neighbours. Unless there is a tangible security threat posed by these initiatives, the MEA should, in fact, encourage their proliferation.

The MEA has to get over the illusion that foreign policy is largely about diplomacy. It is instead about strategy. Sound foreign policy requires putting in place the sinews of interchange that allow you to leverage power over your interlocutors. These lines of connection cannot be created by foreign offices, especially in a world where economic interchange is as crucial a currency of power as diplomatic finesse. While coordination between different branches of government is necessary, the MEA should welcome the contributions other ministries are making to India8217;s foreign relations.