Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik

It seems the Russia-Ukraine talks progressing in Turkey may soon bring an end to the ongoing war between the two neighboring nations. However, I am compelled to state that the talks happening in Turkey has certainly exposed flaws in Indian foreign policy for the simple reason, India should have taken the lead for what turkey is doing now. It is true, Turkey has good relations with both the US and Russia and is also a member of NATO, but India maintains much more vibrant and warm relations with both US and Russia that many nations do not have with these global giants.

The intensity of our relationship with both US and Russia can be gauged from the fact that foreign ministers of both the countries are arriving India. Not just that, head of the states of these global super powers are in constant touch with the Indian Prime Minister.  Both the super powers are competing to garner the support of India. However, till now India is firm on Her neutral stand, with respect to the continuing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. During the course of voting in the United Nations India did not favour either Russia or America.

But it is unfortunate; India did not display this nerve in halting the war. Even then, India is active in the diplomatic arena. Every week some prominent foreign dignitaries visit India. Our Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are also visiting foreign nations at regular intervals. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is visiting New Delhi and at the same time US has deputed their Deputy Security Advisor Duleep Singh to India to counter any Russian move to entice Indian.

America and NATO nations are trying their best to condemn Russia in one way or the other and impose sanctions on it, but Russian business representatives are camping in Delhi these days trying to figure out how to sell large quantities of crude oil to India.  Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was also scheduled to visit India but his visit has been postponed due to ill-health. Meanwhile, Jaishankar is in Sri Lanka for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) meeting. Our Prime Minister has addressed the seven-nation meeting of BIMSTEC.

These seven BIMSTEC countries (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand) are drafting their manifesto and will be entering into significant agreements of mutual cooperation. Fostering of BIMSTEC, particularly after SAARC turned dormant, is a welcome development. Current visit of our Foreign Minister to our neighmouring Island nation is proving to be very meaningful and timely, as India has announced direct help to Sri Lanka which is confronting an unprecedented fiscal fiasco.  India will now run the proposed three China supported solar-stations in Jaffna. India has also signed two defense agreements with Sri Lanka.

The timely support from neighbouring Indian is expected to embolden Sri Lanka to gradually come out of the clutches of China.

(The author is the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Council of India)

*Dr. Vaidik is a widely travelled scholar-journalist. He has visited more than 80 countries on diplomatic and educationalmissions. Dr. Vaidik has won more than a dozen National and International awards for academic and journalistic excellence. He has been a member of several Advisory Committees of Government of India.