'The world is getting India-ready...': External Affairs Minister Jaishankar
3 min read . Updated: 19 Oct 2022, 06:13 AM IST
PremiumJaishankar said that a lot has changed in the last eight years under the tenure of the Modi government
On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar urged young people to take an active interest in foreign policy because it affects them and helps India become world-ready for the future.
He stated that he would really like people to know what a foreign minister does and how foreign policy affects everyone today while addressing the general public at an event on Indian Foreign Policy in the Modi Era in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.
"I would like you to understand what I do. A Foreign Minister has two big tasks. First, to introduce India to the world. Also, to impart greater understanding about the country in the world and to make them understand what is happening in new India," he said in Hindi.
Jaishankar said that a lot has changed in the last eight years under the tenure of the Modi government.
"There are three main layers of our foreign policy. Firstly, it is security-centric. Secondly, it is development-centric. Thirdly, it is people-centric. Today, we have a vision for 10 weeks, 10 months and even for 10 years, so that we can focus on both short-term and long-term vision," he said.
Speaking at the event, the EAM said that today anything that happens anywhere affects everyone across the world.
"Today, all the walls we created regarding the world stand broken. Anything that happens anywhere in the world, its effects are felt everywhere. The war in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic show what impact the world has on us. It has taught us not to be dependent on any particular country. We have to enhance the global workplace and global marketplace," he said.
According to the EAM, India lagged behind the rest of the world in manufacturing during the last 20 to 30 years, but today, even i-phones are made in India.
Referring to the changing nature of the US and China, Jaishankar said "Two most important incidents in the changing world are 'Rising China' and the 'Changing US'. Firstly, the way China has risen economically, politically and militarily. The other is the way the US has changed regarding its relations and partnerships."
The EAM further said that India's attitude has changed a lot in the last eight years regarding terrorism and border issues.
"We all know that India has always been a victim of terrorism. But, now our vision regarding it has changed. You can compare it with what happened in Mumbai in 2008 and in Uri and Pulwama. You can see how confident our government has been in its policies," he said.
Highlighting the 2015 India-Bangladesh land border agreement, he said "In 2015, India signed a land agreement with Bangladesh, which resolved the border issues with the country for the first time. It helped in bringing peace to the North East. Earlier, the terrorists were easily able to cross the border, but now the agreement has brought a stop to it."
Jaishankar added that India carried out a mission to bring back 70 lakh of its citizens during COVID, when every nation sent their citizens abroad.
Jaishankar spoke at the event's conclusion and exhorted the young people to become involved in international affairs because the world today is "India-ready."
"Today's youth should take an active interest in foreign affairs because it holds both opportunities as well as challenges for you all. While we are making India future-ready, the world is also becoming India-ready. The world now wants India to lead the world. I can assure you all that in the next 10 years, India will have its own place in the world," Jaishankar said.
With inputs from ANI
Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less