Ministry of External Affairs Annual Report | 2019-20 Ministry of External Affairs New Delhi Annual Report | 2019-20 The Annual Report of the Ministry of External Affairs is brought out by the Policy Planning and Research Division. A digital copy of the Annual Report can be accessed at the Ministry’s website : www.mea.gov.in. This Annual Report has also been published as an audio book (in Hindi) in collaboration with the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (NIEPVD) Dehradun. Designed and Produced by www.creativedge.in Dr. S Jaishankar External Affairs Minister. Earlier Dr S Jaishankar was President – Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Limited from May 2018. He was Foreign Secretary from 2015-18, Ambassador to United States from 2013-15, Ambassador to China from 2009-2013, High Commissioner to Singapore from 2007- 2009 and Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2000-2004. He has also served in other diplomatic assignments in Embassies in Moscow, Colombo, Budapest and Tokyo, as well in the Ministry of External Affairs and the President’s Secretariat. Dr S. Jaishankar is a graduate of St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi. He has an MA in Political Science and an M. Phil and Ph.D in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award in 2019. He is married to Kyoko Jaishankar and has two sons & and a daughter. Shri V. Muraleedharan Minister of State for External Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan, born on 12 December 1958 in Kanuur District of Kerala to Shri Gopalan Vannathan Veettil and Smt. Devaki Namballi Vellam Velli, was sworn in as a Union Minister of State on 30 May 2019 by the President of India. Shri V. Muraleedharan officially took charge as Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs on 31 May 2019. Early Career After graduating in English Language and Literature from Government Brennen College, Thalassery, Kerala. Shri Muraleedharan started his journey as an activist in socio-political affairs which vastly enriched his experience. He held various positions such as Vice Chairman of Nehru Yuva Kendra (under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India) from 1999-2002 and later Director General, Nehru Yuva Kendra from 2002-2004. Political Career In April 2018, Shri Muraleedharan was elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. In June 2018, he was nominated as Member to the Standing Committee on External Affairs. In June 2018, he was also appointed as a Member to the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Railways. Later in December 2018, he was appointed as a Member of the Committee on Rules. Shri Muraleedharan is married to Dr. K.S. Jayasree. contents Introduction and SynopsIs 8 1 India' s Neighbours 38 2 South-East Asia and Asia-Pacific 70 3 East Asia 86 4 Eurasia 92 5 Gulf and West Asia 104 6 Africa 118 7 Europe and European Union 142 8 The Americas 176 9 Saarc, Bimstec & Nalanda 210 10 Indo-Pacific 214 11 United Nations and International Organisations 220 12 Multi-Lateral Economic Relations 234 13 Development Cooperation 240 14 Economic Diplomacy & States 254 15 Disarmament and International Security Affairs 264 16 Legal and Treaties Division 272 17 Policy Planning and Research Division 282 18 Counter Terrorism 286 19 Global Cyber Issues, E-Governance & Information technology 288 20 Consular, Passport and Visa Services 294 21 Overseas Indian Affairs 310 22 Protocol 318 23 External Publicity & Public Diplomacy Division 330 24 Adminstration, Establishment and Right To Information 336 25 Implementation of Official Language Policy and Propagation of Hindi Abroad 340 26 Finance and Budget 342 27 Parliament and Coordination Division 348 28 Conference Division 352 29 Archives 354 30 Foreign Service Institute 356 31 Indian Council for Cultural Relations 364 32 Indian Council for World Affairs 372 33 Research & Information System for Developing Countries 384 Introduction and SynopsIs 2019 was a year of continuity and change for the peace in our region and in the world, the protection Ministry of External Affairs. Traditional partnerships of Indian interests and Indians abroad and projection and the diplomatic initiatives of the recent past were of Indian influence and views were fundamental to the given a newer dimension by the installation of a new operation of Indian foreign policy during this period. government following general elections in May 2019. Working with multiple partners on different agendas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in for his this Ministry built on its Neigbourhood First and Act second term as Prime Minister. Dr. S Jaishankar was East policies. A focus on intensifying contacts and appointed as External Affairs Minister and Shri V. on concrete manifestations of goodwill and intent in Muraleedharan as Minister of State for External Affairs. these areas were supplemented by a focus on major bilateral relationships and multilateral and plurilateral Indian diplomacy during the year under review continued activities. The adjustment of foreign policy to domestic its purposeful pursuit of national interest during a time priorities to ensure their constant alignment received of rapid global change. Greater economic well-being, close attention. External challenges during this 8 Introduction and SynopsIs Oath Ceremony of Prime Minister at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi (May 30, 2019) period included substantial changes in geo-political S. Jaishankar also made his first visit abroad to Bhutan equations including major shifts in great power policy on 07-08 June 2019, reflecting the importance that on regional issues and countries, potentially disruptive India attaches to its bilateral relationship with Bhutan, technologies and global technology regimes and a close friend and neighbour. the response to major international issues such as The Ministry continued with the accelerated migration, climate change and global economic and momentum of international engagements with Prime development governance. Minister attending the Council of Heads of States at Congruent with India’s emphasis on engaging the SCO in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (13-14 June), G20 like-minded friendly countries in the immediate meetings at Osaka, Japan (27-29 June), Japan-America- neighbourhood, leaders of BIMSTEC countries, India and Russia-India-China Trilateral meetings, and Kyrgyzstan and Mauritius attended the swearing- informal BRICS Summit (28 June) on the margins of in ceremony of the newly elected government on 30 the G20 Summit. EAM Dr. Jaishankar participated May 2019. The first overseas visit of Prime Minister in the 5th Conference on Interaction and Confidence immediately after assuming office for the second time Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Dushanbe on was to Maldives on 08-09 June 2019. This enabled us 14-15 June 2019; the 19th Commonwealth Foreign to further our partnership with Maldives by opening up Affairs Ministers Meeting (09-11 July, UK). EAM also participated in this year’s editions of the Ministerial new areas of cooperation in health, connectivity, Meetings in the Mekong Ganga Cooperation, ASEAN- capacity building and maritime operations. This was India, and East Asian Summit formats. followed by a visit to Sri Lanka on 09 June. EAM Dr. 9 Annual Report 2019-20 Engagement with great powers continued apace. a programme of bilateral visits to important countries United States Secretary of State Michael Pompeo visited in this region to further our engagement with them. India in June 2019. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Significant initiatives were undertaken to cement Yury Borisov visited New Delhi in July. Reciprocal defence and maritime relationships with neighbours in visits provided an opportunity for enhancing India’s this region. Development initiatives and connectivity/ bilateral and multilateral commitments. EAM visited infrastructure projects were given high importance. Washington in December 2019 and Moscow in August Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR, which underpins 2019. Prime Minister concluded a highly successful Indian activity in this region, was described by EAM visit to the United States in September 2019 which in his keynote address on “Securing the Indian Ocean cemented India’s strong connections with the US and Region: Traditional and Non-Traditional Challenges” included an appearance with President Donald Trump at the 4th Indian Ocean Conference in Maldives in at the Howdy Modi event in Houston. India also further September 2019. extended the range of its cooperation with Russia with Prime Minister attended the 74th UN General Assembly Prime Minister’s successful visit to Russia in September in New York in September 2019. He addressed the 2019, where India expressed its commitment to work General Assembly on 27 September. His remarks together with Russia for the development of Russia’s highlighted India’s civilisational contributions and its Far East Region. The President of the People’s Republic current efforts towards combating terrorism, achieving of China Xi Jinping visited India in October for the universal health care and mitigating climate change. 2nd Informal Summit with Prime Minister at Chennai The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi was while EAM visited China for the 2nd India-China high- suitably commemorated at the United Nations. Prime level mechanism on cultural and people-to-people Minister also announced the launch of the Coalition exchanges. Prime Minister visited France in August for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure during UNGA. 2019 to attend 2019 G-7 Summit (where India was CDRI is designed to be an international platform designated as ‘Biarritz partner’), wherein he addressed where knowledge is generated and exchanged on sessions on Environment, Climate, Oceans and Digital different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of Transformation. infrastructure and will bring together technical expertise The Ministry continued its efforts to maintain and from a multitude of stakeholders. In doing so, it will augment its position as a pre-eminent player in the create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their Indian Ocean Region.