Press Briefing
Thursday, 9 Apr 2009
Smt. Anand Sharma addressed the media today.
The Congress-led UPA Government pursued a
pragmatic, effective and coherent foreign policy
in the last 5 years to enhance India’s
engagement with all regions of the world, to
enable India to play a meaningful role in the
global arena. The policy, rooted in the
philosophy of Panchsheel, propounded by Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru the architect of independent
India’s foreign policy, reinvigorated India’s
engagement with its traditional partners in
Asia, Africa and Latin America. The core of this
foreign policy has been marked by our
determination to ensure sovereign autonomy in
decision making and adherence to principles of
non-alignment.
We took into account contemporary global
realities and the imperative to engage with
regional and international organizations, which
influence global political and economic affairs.
This was mirrored in our strategic partnerships
with the European Union, African Union and East
Asia Summit and ASEAN.. India has become a full
Dialogue Partner in the ARF.
The UPA Government re-energized India’s historic
engagement with Africa by institutionalizing a
partnership with the African Union. The
convening of the first ever India-Africa Forum
Summit in April 2008 has opened new pathways of
cooperation. India has gifted a dedicated
satellite to the people of Africa as a shining
example of its commitment. The Pan-African
e-Network is our contribution to the people of
Sub-Saharan Africa to bridge the digital divide
and promote tele-education and tele-medicine.
India has entered into strategic partnership
with major countries of the world, including
France, Russia, UK, USA, Japan, South Africa,
Brazil and Nigeria.
The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was a
major milestone in international diplomacy and
marked an acceptance of India in the global
mainstream ending three decades of nuclear
isolation. The unconditional waiver by the NSG
is an acknowledgement of India’s nuclear prowess
and our impeccable credentials. We have been
able to successfully conclude Civil Nuclear
Agreements with USA, France, Russia and are
negotiating similar agreements with other
countries. This will help in addressing the twin
challenges of energy security and climate
change.
The Congress-led Government has always been
committed to uphold and secure India’s supreme
national interest and the Civil Nuclear
initiative shall be registered by posterity as a
major contribution.
The UPA Government has always endeavoured to
engage with countries in our immediate and
extended neighbourhood in a spirit of friendship
and mutually rewarding cooperation. The 14th
SAARC Summit held in New Delhi saw the induction
of Afghanistan as its 8th Member. We have
strived to create a robust economic partnership
which would have the beneficial impact of
healing the political divisions in South Asia.
India successfully hosted the Third IBSA Summit.
This trilateral initiative brings together three
major democracies and emerging economies from
the continents of Asia, Latin America and Africa
for robust strategic partnership.
The UPA Government has mobilized international
support to tackle the challenge of terrorism
emanating from our immediate neighbourhood. We
have followed a coherent policy guided by
aggressive diplomacy which has seen the
international community act in solidarity with
India. Within two weeks of the Mumbai carnage,
the UN Security Council adopted a Resolution
proscribing and naming terror outfits operating
from the soil of Pakistan compelling the State
of Pakistan to act.
India’s voice is heard with respect and
admiration in highest international forums
established to tackle global challenges,
including G-20. It was the leadership of the
Congress-led UPA Government which has seen India
on the high table as the process of redrawing
the international financial architecture is
being initiated. We are fully engaged in this
process and India was included in the Financial
Stability Forum in the G-20 Summit.
It was a singular achievement of this Government
to register the historic contribution of Mahatma
Gandhi with the global community and the United
Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted
India’s Resolution co-sponsored by 142 countries
to declare October 2nd as the International Day
of Non-Violence. This came on the 60th
anniversary of Martyrdom of Mahatma Gandhi and
the centenary of the Satyagraha Movement.
It is only the resolute efforts of the present
Government which has seen a global
acknowledgement of a growing profile of India
and this fact cannot be disputed by our critics.
This is in sharp contrast to the BJP-led NDA
Government which was totally clueless on its
foreign policy agenda and during their term,
there was no achievement worth noting and their
foreign policy lacked a comprehensive vision and
direction. Their approach was marked by
incoherence and hollow statements.
On a question of Shri L.K. Advani’s statement on
a muscular foreign policy, Shri Sharma said that
he does not know what a muscular foreign policy
is. Shri Advani is not being correctly advised
by his back-room boys. At this age, he should
not be taken to a gym and then make a statement
that foreign policy has to be muscular. We are
not talking of a competition in muscle building.
Foreign policy has to be smart. It has to be
intelligent. It has to be pragmatic. It must
engage the entire world. Shri Sharma said that
above all, foreign policy is integral to your
own internal national interest. Therefore, it
must have that ability to respond to situations
and uphold India’s supreme national interest
without compromising on your stated policies and
principles as India has done when we were
engaged with the world to join the global
mainstream. We upheld our principles, our stated
policy positions. We never refused to accept any
conditions and we have respectfully accepted for
what we are.
On the question over the candidature of Shri
Jagdish Tytler, Shri Sharma said that much has
been said about it yesterday and day before
also. There is no fresh development and in any
case if there is any development, it will reach
the media.
On a further question whether the Congress Party
was buying time in Shri Jagdish Tytler’s case in
view of the court adjourning the case, Shri
Sharma said that there is no question of buying
time. The Congress party’s attention has been
drawn to the development. Comments have been
made. We will get back to you if we have
something to share or any development related to
this issue. Shri Sharma further said that he can
only make a comment when a view has been taken.
On the question of absence of any visible change
in the approach of Chinese on Arunachal Pradesh,
Shri Sharma said that India’s position is very
clear. Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of
Republic of India. India’s sovereignty and
integrity is not negotiable. The President of
India has every right, like earlier Prime
Minister has done, to visit any part of our
country. We have an on-going process of talks
with China. That includes only the territories
of the border on which clarity is required or
the dispute is there. What is settled part of
India, there cannot be any new objection or
dispute which India will entertain?
On the question over the statement of Shri Vaiko,
Shri Sharma said that the Government of India’s
policy on Sri Lanka developments has been very
clear, firm and unwavering. There is a
distinction to be made. We have impressed upon
the Sri Lankan Government at the highest level
that the issues pertaining to the rights of the
ethnic Tamil civilians has to be
constitutionally and democratically addressed
through dialogues and negotiations.
Shri Sharma further said that we have also urged
for the safety of all the civilians for which
our External Affairs Minister Shri Pranab
Mukherjee has personally gone there more than
once to meet with the leadership. Our Foreign
Secretary has gone to Colombo and we stand by
the rights of the ethnic Tamil civilians. Even
after the intensification of the conflict in Sri
Lanka, India is the only country providing every
possible humanitarian assistance. Even now the
Doctors and Para medical staff of our three
armed forces is operating a hospital in Sri
Lanka particularly in the area affected by the
conflict.
Shri Sharma further said that we should make a
clear distinction between the sufferings of the
civilian population who have the legitimate
rights to be addressed and recognized with a
terrorist outfit which is banned in this
country, which is banned in that country and
which is banned by all the major countries of
the world. We must not make the mistake of
equating the terrorist who indulge in brutal
acts of violence and assassination of honest
civilians.
Shri Sharma further said that may be in the
electoral heat has made Mr. Vaiko lose his
balance and sense of emotion. India is united,
shall always be united and have the ability to
withstand any challenge.
On the question of Left making a statement that
the foreign policy of India has made them the
junior partner, Shri Sharma said that let him
make it clear to the Left so that let there is
be no allusion. The Left never had any
comprehension of the foreign policy of the
Republic of India. Left’s has never made any
contribution in the shaping of independent
India’s foreign policy. The policy which has
upheld supreme national interest of India and
its people, if a credit belongs, then honestly,
it goes to Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru for giving
independent robust foreign policy and the
Non-Aligned movement and the credit goes to
Indian National Congress for preserving it, for
nurturing it and reaffirming it. Left blinkered
world view and the frozen ideology cannot and
will not ever replace India’s independent
foreign policy.
Shri Sharma in this regard further said that the
foreign policy means engagement with the entire
world. The Left never had any opportunity for
any such situation where they had to define and
shape India’s foreign policy and in foreseeable
future in many decades to come, I do not see
Left making any contribution or having any
understanding of the foreign policy.
