Shringla interacts with IFS trainees, stresses on role of Indian diplomats in promoting ideals of Atmanirbhar Bharat

New Delhi [India], March 26 : Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Friday interacted with the Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainees of the 2021 batch and diplomats from Bhutan at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) in New Delhi where he stressed on the importance of Indian diplomats in promoting the values of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Taking to Twitter, the Ministry of External Affairs wrote, "Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla interacted with Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainees of 2021 batch and diplomats from Bhutan. Stressed on the pivotal role of our diplomats in promoting the ideals of #AtmanirbharBharat & of India as a 'Force for global good'."
Aatmavirbhar Bharat is the vision of the Prime Minister of making India a self-reliant nation and Shringla' laid a thrust on pushing the initiative by the PM further.
Earlier on March 9, the Foreign Secretary while addressing the inaugural session of the Training Module organized by Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service on India's Neighbourhood at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie underlined that neighbourhood comes first and foremost amongst all of India's foreign policy priorities.
"The Neighbourhood First Policy, at the instance of the Prime Minister, accords the highest priority to our relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka," Foreign Secretary Shringla said, adding further that, "It is these countries, with the exception of Pakistan, that we work most closely with."
"Whether it is the "India First" policy of the Maldives or Sri Lanka; "Sonali Adhyay" in India-Bangladesh ties; B4B - Bharat for Bhutan and Bhutan for Bharat - spirit, the epithets describing India's relations with its neighbours are not by coincidence. They are manifestations of our Neighbourhood First policy in action", read the MEA statement.