The External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that it is now that India will know its true friends and allies in the world.
This answer came in response to a question posed to the Minister at the Economic Times Global Business Summit.
The question was related to the issue of India losing its allies and long- term friends due to issues arising out of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and abrogation of Article 370.
On being questioned about the pro-active foreign policy, India has adopted in recent times, he said that it was during the old days when India was risk averse and stayed out of situations.
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He said that in the ‘New India’, the country’s might including economic and defence amongst others have increased and this makes it all the more assertive in various global affairs issues, especially those that affect India.
In his speech, the External Affairs Minister highlighted the business-friendly nature of Indian foreign policy and the bureaucracy. He highlighted that Indian diplomatic establishments are more friendly towards businesses and are now keen to enhance the economy.
He also highlighted the fact that India has till date extended 300 lines of credit to 64 nations involving about 539 projects.
Finally, he appreciated the key role that businesses play in foreign policy and underscored their importance in many of the key foreign policy issues such as ‘neighbourhood first’ and ‘Act East policy’.