If there were any lingering doubts about India’s unqualified success in walking the diplomatic tightrope between the West and Moscow over the protracted Russia-Ukraine war, they were definitively dispelled by the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his whirlwind visit to Europe where he held separate bilateral meetings over three days not only with his counterparts in Germany, France and Denmark, but also those from other nations such as Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland at the India-Nordic summit.
Although the still-unfolding tragedy in Ukraine dominated discussions during these meetings, it became clearer with every passing meeting that India’s response to the crisis, not least its neutral stance on Russia, had been collectively understood and accepted by the European leadership. Therefore, despite the distinct difference in their approach to the Ukraine crisis, Brussels is prioritising its relationship with New Delhi and plans to further bolster investment and trade ties between India and the European Union after Prime Minister Modi’s visit.
While negotiations over an India-EU free trade deal, which has been in limbo since 2013, will be commencing soon, the India-EU Trade and Technology Council – aimed at ensuring enhanced coordination on critical aspects of trade, technology and security between the two sides – has already been launched.
Of course, the EU has its own reasons, its own compulsions and its own interests to watch out for as it looks towards stronger relations with New Delhi. After all, it plans to eventually cut off all ties with Moscow, especially its dependence on Russia for oil and gas. Its ties with China have been more strained than ever as Beijing and Moscow committed to deepening their ties at around the same time as Russia invaded Ukraine. Besides, India is an Asian superpower with a huge market and it is also a formidable ally to have in the Indo-Pacific region where Chinese intransigence is a huge cause for concern not just among countries in the region but also in the Western world at large.
But that is not to say that the deftness, firmness and maturity with which the Modi government has navigated its diplomatic ship amidst the unprecedentedly choppy waters of international relations at present – something that has been so impressively demonstrated time and time again not just by our Prime Minister but also by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other official representatives of the nation on the global stage – has been critical to India’s interests and is most definitely worthy of applause.
There is no denying how complicated, polarised and turbulent the world is these days. So, it is of utmost importance for the people of this nation to appreciate the successes of India and understand that the more united we stand, the better off we are. Nothing good will ever come from getting divided over religion and language, as some recent events have threatened to do. No one should ever forget that the very foundation of our nation is its unity in diversity.
Concluding with an example from Odisha: See where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has taken the Biju Janata Dal to by always setting the right priorities for the party, and then compare it to where the state Congress has landed in by not doing so.
Comment here