MEA near, Natwar has policies ready

So when Singh came home after the swearing-in he still speaks the language — ‘‘We will improve relations with our neighbours, continue the peace process with Pakistan and normalisation of relations with China and also our other immediate neighbours. We also intend to revive our relations with NAM countries, but before this government does that, we have to see what has happened in these intervening eight years when the Congress was out of power,’’ he told The Indian Express.

Singh is keen to ‘‘widen and deepen relations with the US which has grown significantly in the past few years.’’ Though Singh is yet to be allocated a portfolio, he is clear any proposal to send troops to Iraq is unacceptable. ‘‘We protested any move by the Vajpayee government to send troops who could serve under the American or British flag.’’

Though India made a radical shift in its foreign policy by establishing diplomatic relations with Israel during the last Congress government headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao, Singh feels there should be greater focus on the Palestinian issue. ‘‘We will look closely at what is happening in the Gaza Strip and West bank and also at the issues in Iraq.’’

He also promised to make the present government more accessible to the common man and promised to ensure that its policies reflected it. ‘‘We don’t believe in statements like ‘feel-good, Bharat Uday, India Shining’. Instead we will focus on the common man,’’ said Singh.

An alumni of Mayo College and St Stephen’s College, Delhi, Singh has served as MoS for External Affairs in the the Eighties. He took voluntary retirement from the Foreign Service as a Secretary-level officer to successfully contest the elections. His son Jagat Singh was recently elected as an MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly.