The year 2014 will be remembered for proactive diplomacy from a new government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with a focus on the neighbourhood and an aggressive engagement with both major and emerging world powers. In a departure from the past, the new government defined its foreign policy through various public events and outreach exercises. If the year began with Japan PM Shinzo Abe’s visit to India for Republic Day celebrations, it is ending with preparations for US President Barack Obama’s visit for the same reason in 2015. This will be the first time a US President is the chief guest on Republic Day. Delhi’s diplomacy push gathered momentum in May this year — within five days of the Modi-led government coming to power — with his gambit to invite leaders from SAARC countries to attend the swearing-in ceremony. With all leaders, including Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, responding positively, Modi’s move — a first for any PM in independent India — paid off. The neighbourhood remained high on priority, with Modi making Bhutan his first international stop. He went to Nepal twice this year — the second time to attend the SAARC summit in November — and declared Delhi’s readiness to play a leading role in the region. The engagement with the P-5 countries — the acronym used for permanent members in the UN Security Council — was evident as they came calling, starting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Then followed French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin and US Secretary of State John Kerry — all within the first eight weeks of the new government assuming charge. By year-end, Modi had met Obama thrice, including during a visit to the US when the two pledged for a vision document. With China, the border dispute took centre stage as incursions on the Ladakh border overshadowed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit in September. Interestingly, this happened soon after Modi’s visit to Japan. Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin, battling sanctions from Western countries, committed to building at least 12 nuclear reactors during his trip to India. Modi’s engagement with major economies was on display during the G-20 summit in Australia and the ASEAN and East Asia summits in Myanmar, where he met over 40 world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British PM David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande. His first engagement with the wider world started with his participation in the BRICS summit in Brazil, perceived to be an alternative grouping to the US-led western bloc. While Modi’s moves mostly garnered applause, his decision to cancel the foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan, over the issue of the Pakistan envoy meeting Hurriyat leaders from Kashmir, received criticism. “It was not a wise move,” said professor Ajay Darshan Behera, who heads the Pakistan Studies Programme at Jamia Millia Islamia. “Pakistan has come out looking positive and eager to talk while India comes across as one with the big brother attitude.” Towards year-end, Modi’s conversation with Sharif on the sidelines of the SAARC summit and then a phone call after the Peshawar school attack is understood to have opened channels of communication. Beyond the neighbourhood, the new government was saddled with a hostage situation in Iraq, with at least 40 Indian nationals still in captivity of the militant group Islamic State. South Block is still trying to resolve the situation. Going forward, Obama’s visit in January is expected to take the India-US relationship to new heights. During the course of the year, Modi will head to Germany for bilateral talks, Russia for the BRICS summit, Turkey for G-20 and Malaysia for East Asia summit. He will also undertake trips to China, UK and Canada since he has already made commitments.
