INDIA and its relations

India's foreign policy seeks to safeguard the country's enlightened self-interest. The primary objective of India's foreign policy is to promote and maintain a peaceful and stable external environment in which the domestic tasks of inclusive economic development and poverty alleviation can progress rapidly and without obstacles. Given the high priority attached by the Government of India to socio-economic development, India has a vital stake in a supportive external environment both in our region and globally. India, therefore, seeks a peaceful periphery and works for good neighbourly relations in its extended neighbourhood. India's foreign policy also recognizes that the issues such as climate change and energy and food security that are crucial to India's transformation are global and require global cooperative solutions.
The year past witnessed several positive developments, some significant successes, and a few major fresh threats to India's foreign policy.
India shares a common destiny with its neighbours. Relations with Bhutan developed further in the year of His Majesty's coronation and the introduction of democracy in Bhutan. India has strongly supported Nepal's transition to a democratic polity, and the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh. India has contributed to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. Apart from maintaining friendly and close bilateral relations with its neighbours, India has also worked for the evolution of SAARC into a result oriented organization that effectively promotes regional integration.

India gives highest priority to her neighbours. This centrality of neighbours in India’s foreign policy stems from the clear understanding that a peaceful periphery is essential for India to achieve her multifarious developmental goals. Moreover, India firmly believes that a stable and prosperous South Asia will contribute to India’s own prosperity. Again, in the context of South Asia, India has a certain added responsibility because India is a neighbour to all though none of the others actually share borders – except Myanmar and Bangladesh. To that extent India has been implementing a policy of asymmetric engagement to strengthen bridges of friendship and create new opportunities for the growth, security and well-being of her neighbours both bilaterally and through the SAARC mechanism.

At the last SAARC Summit held in Maldives in November 2011, Prime Minister Dr. Mammohan Singh articulated India’s vision of regional economic integration based on enhanced intra-regional trade, investment flows and interconnectivity. India announced virtual elimination of sensitive lists affecting exports of all least developed SAARC countries to India and took various initiatives for capacity building. India is committed to fostering the sense of a South Asian Identity through the SAARC process, enhancing mutual confidence in multiple areas and in trying to leverage India’s rapid economic growth into win-win arrangements with her neighbours. India remains conscious of this vision of South Asian Integration in bilateral engagements with her neigbhours as well.