New Delhi, Aug 28, IRNA – India sought a peaceful and tranquil international environment as well as very good relations with all countries, especially with neighbours, said Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Friday in New Delhi.“Seeking better ties with countries in the region, India was engaging its neighbours without looking for reciprocal actions”, said Manmohan Singh inaugurating the third conference of Heads of Missions here.
He said that India, by and large, has good relations with her neighbours. We were engaging them without looking at reciprocity, in our own enlightened interest.
Referring to the foreign policy, Prime Minister said that foreign policy had a very important role in securing India's energy needs.
Foreign policy should also be oriented towards East and South East Asia which were poised for a sustained growth rate in the 21st century, he added.
Singh said that Indian diplomats were facilitating the creation of an international environment that was conducive to India's progress, development and attainment of its external goals.
Outlining his vision of India, the Prime Minister said that the foremost national goal was to remove poverty and accelerate the pace of economic development.
The Prime Minister noted that India was among the fastest growing economies in the world, which despite the global meltdown in 2008-09, had returned to a growth path of 8.5 per cent.
He said energy availability was critical to attaining a 9-10 per cent growth rate, as one per cent growth needed 0.8 per cent increase in energy availability.
Highlighting the increasingly inter-dependent global environment, he said India needed an open trading system and wanted to emerge as a major trading nation in the world.
'G-20 had become a key forum for discussing and shaping international economic and financial policies. Foreign policy had also to pay more attention to functioning of G20,' the Prime Minister said.
