PM's foreign trips promote cooperation: Sushma Swaraj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's engagements abroad have been aimed at promoting cooperation on skill development, advanced medical research and food security, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Wednesday.

Making a suo motu statement in the lok Sabha on Modi's foreign trips, Sushma Swaraj said: "Modi's speeches in Hindi have been a national pride."

"There is unprecedented optimism about India's rapid progress under prime minister's leadership and widespread expectation of effective and meaningful contribution from India for advancing peace, stability and prosperity in the world," she said.

"At the heart of prime minister's engagements abroad have been efforts to promote cooperation on skill development, advanced medical research for diseases, like the agreement on research for malaria and TB with the US, food security, such as our work with Australia on agricultural research, education, such as the agreement to collaborate with the US on a new generation Indian Institute of Technology," she said.

Sushma Swaraj said that India's engagements with the US also helped secure the country's interests on food security in the WTO and advance the negotiations on the Doha development round of WTO.

"This initiative has contributed to strengthening the global trading regime, which is of direct interest to India, without in any way diluting our fundamental obligation to protect the interests of our poor," she added.