"World is seeing how our relations with many countries are strong...": PM Modi on foreign policy

New Delhi [India], February 18 : Lauding how India's foreign policy is going strong, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the world is seeing how New Delhi's relations with many countries continue to grow stronger in trade, tourism, technology and various other aspects.
In a jibe against the critical remarks over the years on experience in foreign policy, PM Modi said that when he took the oath as India's Prime Minister, questions were raised about him not having "experience outside a state."
While addressing the concluding day of the National Convention of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Delhi's Bharat Mandapam, PM Modi said, "When I took oath in 2014, many of our critics said that what experience does Modi have outside a state. Many things were said about foreign policy."
PM Modi's diplomatic triumphs were widely seen, when, during the last year, he embarked on a series of diplomatic missions, fostering international collaborations, strengthening ties, and showcasing India's commitment to global peace and development.
Not only that, as 2024 began, Prime Minister Modi made a historic visit to the UAE and Qatar as well.
"Recently, I visited UAE and Qatar. The world is seeing how our relations with many countries are strong...Our relations are better in trade, tourism, and technology," he said, as he recalled his visits to the gulf countries earlier today.
"Five Arab countries gave me the highest honour of their country, this is not the honour of PM Modi but the honour of the 140 crore countrymen," he noted.
In December last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, highlighting the accomplishments of Indian diplomacy, asserted that New Delhi has effectively cultivated relationships with multiple and often competing powers, calling it a "significant" milestone.
He said, "It has been a significant achievement of Indian diplomacy that we have been successful in forging relationships with multiple and often competing powers."
Highlighting the positive impact of overall national development since 2014 that has addressed the shortcomings in the security domain, Jaishankar said, "Strenuous efforts have been made, especially in the last decade, to correct the shortcomings of the previous ones. The overall development of our national strengths that we have seen since 2014 has clearly had positive repercussions in the security field, whether it is internal, external or at the border."
Jaishankar also said that India is now seen as a "credible and effective development partner."
Jaishankar highlighted India's transformation into a "credible and effective development partner," with a development portfolio spanning 78 nations.
"In our travel abroad, I am glad to report that we are now seen as a credible and effective development partner. Our development partnership portfolio now spans 78 countries and the hallmark of these projects is that they are demand-driven, transparent, empowerment-oriented, environment friendly and rely on a consultative approach," Jaishankar underlined.
The Minister emphasized India's role in promoting digital public infrastructure and sharing digital governance best practices, especially with the Global South.