Two achievements of Indian foreign policy yesterday caught my attention. One is the appreciation of India by Russian President Vladimir Putin and secondly the talks between the Prime Ministers of India and Britain on the Free Trade Agreement! There was a doubt on these issues that both these nations had some objection to the policy of India, but they were not hesitant to speak openly. It is now clear that both Russia and Britain are satisfied with India’s policy and their relations with India will be getting closer day by day.
Let us take Russia first. India never vehemently supported the Russian attack on Ukraine but did not fire it against Russia like the US and European nations. He safely evacuated thousands of his citizens from Ukraine, presented him with tons of grain and also supported him in the United Nations on some proposals. Not only this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly said in the summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization that this is not the time for war. The Russo-Ukraine war must stop immediately.
Perhaps this was the effect that Putin convinced the whole world, stricken by the fear of nuclear war, that he had absolutely no intention of launching an atomic bomb. Now giving a speech at a ‘think tank’ in Moscow, he not only praised Modi, but said that during this crisis Russia’s agricultural trade with India doubled, fertilizer exports increased 7-8 times and mutual Business jumped from 13 billion to $18 billion. Russian oil fulfilled India’s need. Putin has praised India’s independent foreign policy. This is when India is fully cooperating with America on many fronts.
China is very jealous of this but Russia’s assessment of India is correct. Similarly, full prospects of the conclusion of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement are beginning to appear. Rishi Sunak sent his foreign minister to India as soon as he became the Prime Minister. The talks between Modi and Sunak have paved the way for free trade. In London, it was being feared that if the said agreement was reached, there would be an abundance of Indians in Britain and they would capture the British markets.
Apart from this, Britain wants India not to impose more tax-duty on its motorcycles, alcohol, chemicals and many other things. Similarly, India also wants to reduce the duty on its agricultural commodities, clothing and leather goods. It is expected that if the said agreement is reached in a few days, then the doors of many other European countries will also be opened for Indian goods.
