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Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Sasmit Patra on Friday opined that India is "well-positioned" to pursue an independent foreign policy aligned with its national interests.
The MP's remark came amid former US Ambassador Kenneth Juster's remarks that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasingly positioning itself as a "civilisational power" seeking a larger and more assertive role in global affairs. Talking to ANI, he said, "I think India, as the largest democracy and rapidly rising economic power globally, is well positioned to actually exercise its own foreign policy for its own national interests." Agreeing with the remarks made by the former US ambassador, Patra stressed the importance of India leveraging its soft power globally. "Indian diplomacy, and for that matter, the geopolitics relating to Indian foreign policy, has dramatically changed. What the former US ambassador is saying, I agree with him, and I believe that India needs to keep exercising its soft power through its global diaspora to further accentuate its global position at the high table of diplomacy," he added. This comes after Juster on Thursday said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is increasingly positioning itself as a "civilisational power" seeking a larger and more assertive role in global affairs. Speaking at the Hudson Institute's The New India Conference, Juster linked this evolving worldview to a broader transformation in India's foreign policy since 2014. "A final important factor in the new orientation of India's foreign policy was the election of Prime Minister Modi in 2014," he said. Juster noted that externally, Modi has projected "greater self-confidence" in engaging countries across regions, expanding India's diplomatic outreach and strategic purpose. "Externally, Modi has increasingly projected greater self-confidence in reaching out to a wide swath of countries throughout the world, expanding the scope of India's foreign policy and its sense of purpose in engaging others," the former envoy said. "Under Prime Minister Modi, India sees itself as a civilisational power that wants to play an increasingly significant role in world affairs and the international community," he further stated. According to Juster, India's foreign policy under the current leadership reflects a balance between strategic autonomy and global engagement, particularly in the context of US-China competition. "India shares a common interest with middle powers in wanting to avoid letting the US-China competition weaken its strategic autonomy and freedom of action," Juster said, adding that despite tensions with China, New Delhi continues to tilt towards closer engagement with the United States. He also highlighted India's long-term ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047, as well as its growing role in global governance platforms, including India's increasing influence as a regular observer at G7 summits and its prominent role during its 2023 presidency of the G20. Juster added that India has sought to position itself as "the global voice or the voice for the global South," reflecting its broader aspiration to shape international discourse on development and governance. (ANI)
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