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Government’s foreign policy in the year 2018
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- Restoring relations with China and bringing back a “balance” to ties in the neighbourhood are considered achievements of the government’s foreign policy in the year 2018, while challenges ahead in 2019 will include keeping the balance between the U.S.-Europe axis on one hand and the Russia-China axis on the other.
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- Achievements:
- According to a year-end review of the government’s policies, the establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) by India ranked amongst its biggest successes as it is the first multilateral organisation — with as many as 71 member countries already signed on — that is headquartered in India.
- In the neighbourhood, the restoration of balance in our relationship with Nepal, as well as the reconnection with the new leadership in the Maldives are positive outcomes.
- India avoided being the subject of domestic politics in the region, and has taken great care to ensure this in the recent political developments both in Sri Lanka and in Bangladesh.
- Failure case of Pakistan:
- No forward movement with Pakistan was seen, where talks over the Kartarpur corridor were described as a “cultural initiative” but not diplomacy.
- China:
- Relations with China had returned to the “normal track” with progress made with high-level visits, the resumption of defence ties suspended last year after the Doklam standoff, restoration of peace at the India-China boundary and forward movement on trade where Beijing is actively considering Indian requests for more market access on agricultural and pharmaceutical products in particular.
- U.S:
- Ties with the United States have seen an upward swing.
- Some concern was felt about the recent developments over Afghanistan, with reports of a possible pullout of US troops and moves to engage the Taliban along with visits to Pakistan by special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad being studied closely.
- The government acknowledged that there was a relatively lower amount of contact at the level of PM Modi and US President Trump, who only met once in the year in a trilateral format with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but there had been must closer contacts between the Foreign, Defence and Commerce Ministers and their counterparts than before.
Source
The Hindu