External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday informed Parliament that India will place special emphasis on its neighbourhood, stretching from West Asia to East Asia, while playing a role to fulfil its international responsibilities to build a peaceful and prosperous world.
Making suo motu statements in both the lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for BRICS Summit, Swaraj said the new Government has already “actively and decisively” followed that policy in the short time that it has been in office.
She made the statement on insistence by opposition Congress that the Prime Minister should make a statement on the 6th BRICS Summit attended by him. Hitting back, Swaraj said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had attended five BRICS Summits during his tenure but no statement was made in Parliament.
“There has never been a tradition (of making a statement on BRICS Summit). We are starting a new tradition today,” she said before making the statement. Swaraj said the Prime Minister was very satisfied with the outcome of the BRICS Summit and his meetings with leaders of partner countries of the grouping -- Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa -- besides those of South American nations.
leader of Congress in the lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge insisted that Prime Minister should come to the House and appraise.His comments about not taking Swaraj to the summit led to tit-for-tat replies between the Minister and Kharge. Swaraj said Manmohan Singh never took any External Affairs Minister to BRICS summit and there was no presence of External Affairs Minister, when the summit took place even in Delhi.
“In the emerging global environment, it is essential for India to pursue pro-active and broad-based international engagement to advance our national development and security and to fulfill our international responsibilities to build a peaceful and prosperous world,” Swaraj said.“We will continue to place special emphasis on our neighbourhood, stretching from West Asia to East Asia,” she said.
Giving details, Swaraj said the Summit underlined the relevance and role of BRICS as an important additional instrument for promoting global economic growth and stability, economic development in resource-constrained countries and international peace.“The prevailing political turmoil, economic weakness and general uncertainty in the world imposes greater responsibility on BRICS to strengthen collective international efforts to address these challenges,” she said.
“The BRICS countries have the ability to take major decisions quickly, which encourages us to set higher ambitions for ouselves in the future,” the External Affairs Minister said while referring to the agreements on the establishment of the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement reached at the July 14-15 Summit.
The Bank not only offers additional long-term source of development finance for members, it has also generated hope and excitement in the developing world, she said.