Create account Log in Article Talk Read Edit View history Foreign relations of India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia India has formal diplomatic relations with most nations; it is the world's second most populous country, the Navigation Republic of India world's most-populous democracy and one of the fastest growing major economies.[1] With the world's seventh Main page largest military expenditure,[2] ninth largest economy by nominal rates and third largest by purchasing power Contents parity, India is a regional power,[3] a nascent great power and a potential superpower. India's growing Featured content international influence gives it a prominent voice in global affairs. Current events India is a newly industrialized country, it has a long history of collaboration with several countries and is Random article considered a leader of the developing world.[4][5] India was one of the founding members of several international Donate to Wikipedia organizations, most notably the United Nations, the Asian Development Bank, G20 industrial nations and the founder of the Non-aligned movement. India has also played an important and influential role in other Interaction international organizations like East Asia Summit,[6] World Trade Organization,[7] International Monetary Fund (IMF),[8] G8+5[9] and IBSA Dialogue Forum.[10] Regionally, India is a part of SAARC and BIMSTEC. India has Help taken part in several UN peacekeeping missions and in 2007, it was the second-largest troop contributor to the About Wikipedia United Nations.[11] India is currently seeking a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, along with the G4 Part of the series Community portal nations.[12] Politics and Government Recent changes of India Contact Wikipedia Contents Union Government 1 History Constitution of India Toolbox 2 Policy Fundamental rights 2.1 Role of the Prime Minister What links here 2.2 Ministry of External Affairs Executive: Related changes 3 Overview Upload file President 4 Strategic partners Vice President Special pages 5 Bilateral and regional relations Prime Minister Permanent link 5.1 Neighbours Cabinet of India Cite this page 5.1.1 Afghanistan 5.1.2 Bangladesh Parliament: Print/export 5.1.3 Bhutan 5.1.4 Burma Rajya Sabha Create a book Lok Sabha 5.1.5 China Download as PDF The Chairman 5.1.6 Maldives Printable version The Speaker 5.1.7 Nepal 5.1.8 Pakistan Judiciary: Languages 5.1.9 Sri Lanka 5.2 Asia–Pacific Supreme Court of India বাংলা 5.2.1 Australia Chief Justice of India ްސަބިހެވިދ High Courts 5.2.2 Fiji ह द District Courts 5.2.3 Japan தமி 5.2.4 Laos Elections 中文 5.2.5 Nauru Election Commission: 5.2.6 Indonesia Chief Election Commissioner 5.2.7 Malaysia Political parties 5.2.8 Philippines National parties 5.2.9 Singapore State parties 5.2.10 South Korea 5.2.11 Taiwan National coalitions: 5.2.12 Thailand Left Front 5.2.13 Vietnam National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 5.3 Americas United Progressive Alliance (UPA) 5.3.1 Argentina 5.3.2 Barbados Local and state govt. 5.3.3 Brazil Governor 5.3.4 Canada 5.3.5 Colombia Vidhan Sabha 5.3.6 Mexico Vidhan Parishad 5.3.7 Paraguay Panchayat Gram panchayat 5.3.8 United States of America Panchayat samiti 5.3.8.1 Cold War era Zilla Parishad 5.3.8.2 Post Cold War era 5.3.8.3 Pokhran tests Government of India Portal 5.3.8.4 Post–11 September 5.3.8.5 Indo-USA strategic partnership V T E 5.4 Europe 5.4.1 European Union 5.4.2 United Kingdom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_India Page 1 / 24 5.4.3 France 5.4.4 Italy 5.4.5 Germany 5.4.6 Greece 5.4.7 Norway 5.4.8 Spain 5.4.9 Turkey 5.4.10 Other European countries 5.5 West Asia 5.5.1 Arab states of the Persian Gulf 5.5.2 Bahrain 5.5.3 Egypt 5.5.4 Iran 5.5.5 Iraq 5.5.6 Israel 5.5.7 Lebanon 5.5.8 Oman 5.5.9 Saudi Arabia 5.6 Russia and Central Asia 5.6.1 Russian Federation 5.6.2 Kazakhstan 5.6.3 Mongolia 5.6.4 Tajikistan 5.6.5 Uzbekistan 5.7 Africa 5.7.1 Côte d'Ivoire 5.7.2 Liberia 5.7.3 Mauritius 5.7.4 Nigeria 5.7.5 Rwanda 5.7.6 Seychelles 5.7.7 South Africa 5.7.8 South Sudan 5.7.9 Sudan 6 International organizations 6.1 Non-Aligned Movement 6.2 United Nations 6.3 World Trade Organization 6.4 SAARC 7 International disputes 7.1 Bangladesh 7.2 Nepal 7.3 British Indian Ocean Territories 7.4 Maldives 7.5 Pakistan 7.6 People's Republic of China 8 Look East Policy 8.1 India – ASEAN 9 Further reading 10 See also 11 References 12 External links History [edit] Even before independence, the Government of British India maintained semi-autonomous diplomatic relations. It had colonies (such as the Aden Settlement), sent and received full diplomatic missions,[13] and was a founder member of both the League of Nations[14] and the United Nations. [15] After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, it soon joined the Commonwealth of Nations and strongly supported independence movements in other colonies, like the Indonesian National Revolution.[16] The partition and various territorial disputes, particularly that over Kashmir, would strain its relations with Pakistan for years to come. During the Cold War, India adopted a foreign policy of not aligning itself with any major power bloc. However, India developed close ties with the Soviet Union and received extensive military support from it. The end of the Cold War significantly affected India's foreign policy, as it did for much of the world. The country now seeks to strengthen its diplomatic and economic ties with the United States,[17] the People's Republic of China,[18] the European Union,[19] Japan,[20] Israel,[21] Mexico, [22] and Brazil.[23] India has also forged close ties with the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,[24] the African Union, [25] the Arab League[26] and Iran.[27] Though India continues to have a military relationship with Russia,[28] Israel has emerged as India's second largest military partner[25] while India has built a strong strategic partnership with the United States.[17][29] The Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement, signed and implemented in 2008, highlighted the growing sophistication of the Indo-American relations.[30] Policy [edit] India's foreign policy has always regarded the concept of neighbourhood as one of widening concentric circles, around a central axis of historical and cultural http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_India Page 2 / 24 commonalities.[31] States that host an Indian diplomatic mission India Nations that host an Indian diplomatic mission As many as 21 million people of Indian origin live and work abroad and constitute an important link with the mother country. An important role of India's foreign policy has been to ensure their welfare and well being within the framework of the laws of the country where they live.[32] Role of the Prime Minister [edit] Pranab Mukherjee, the former Finance Minister of India with US President George W. Bush in 2008. Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, promoted a strong personal role for the Prime Minister but a weak institutional structure. Nehru served concurrently as Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs; he made all major foreign policy decisions himself after consulting with his advisers and then entrusted the conduct of international affairs to senior members of the Indian Foreign Service. He was the main founding fathers of the Panchsheel or the five principles of peaceful co- existence. His successors continued to exercise considerable control over India's international dealings, although they generally appointed separate ministers of external affairs.[33][34][35] India's second prime minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964–66), expanded the Prime Minister Office Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in New (sometimes called the Prime Minister's Secretariat) and enlarged its powers. By the 1970s, the Delhi. The Prime Minister, in collaboration Office of the Prime Minister had become the de facto coordinator and supraministry of the Indian with External Affairs Ministry, handles key government. The enhanced role of the office strengthened the prime minister's control over foreign foreign policy decisions. policy making at the expense of the Ministry of External Affairs. Advisers in the office provided channels of information and policy recommendations in addition to those offered by the Ministry of External Affairs. A subordinate part of the office—the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)—functioned in ways that significantly expanded the information available to the prime minister and his advisers. The RAW gathered intelligence, provided intelligence analysis to the Office of the Prime Minister, and conducted covert operations abroad. The prime minister's control and reliance on personal advisers in the Office of the Prime Minister was particularly strong under the tenures of Indira Gandhi (1966–77 and 1980–84) and her son, Rajiv (1984–89), who succeeded her, and weaker during the periods of coalition governments. Observers find it difficult to determine whether the locus of decision-making authority on any particular issue lies with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Council of Ministers, the Office of the Prime Minister, or the prime minister himself.[36] The Prime Minister is however free to appoint advisers and special committees to examine various foreign policy options and areas of interest.