Govt to hold 2-day meet of its envoys from April 15

Faced with emerging challenges in its neighbourhood, the government is convening a two-day brainstorming session of all its envoys in the region on April 15 and 16. Jayanth Jacob reports. Taking stock

Faced with emerging challenges in its neighbourhood, the government is convening a two-day brainstorming session of all its envoys in the region on April 15 and 16.

HT Image

The meet is set to firm up strategies to face the challenges in the region. The issues to the discussed include improving economic linkages with these countries and addressing the security challenges, sources told HT.

Some of the foreign relations like that with Sri Lanka have become a matter of great domestic political significance as well. Senior officials, including national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai, will address the envoys.

"We do hold such consultations to assess the challenges and form our responses to them. It's a stock-taking exercise as well," said a senior official. The meet is taking place at a time when country's foreign policy is faced with numerous challenges, threats and opportunities.

There are concerns about the endgame in Afghanistan. India is worried about the security situation in Afghanistan once the foreign troops exit the country. New Delhi maintains that whatever happens in Afghanistan has direct national security implication for it.

The domestic political implication of the Tamil minority is casting its shadow over the India- Sri Lanka relations. India is also keen to continue the same momentum in the relationship with the new Chinese leadership as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be travelling to China in June and either Chinese president XI Jinping or premier Li Keqiang will pay a return visit to India during the year.