Access to services, visa issues are challenges for trade: Jaishankar

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on Friday said connectivity and greater access in services trade is at the centre of India’s foreign policy today.

“People are losing out by remaining disconnected. Each of our neighbours wants to invest here and build connectivity projects. Everyone wants to make money out of India,” Jaishankar said at The Growth Net event here on Friday.

He said issues such as access to services and movement of people have become difficult. On the US and UK visa issues, he said there have been “challenges”. On strategic differences taking over trade and business considerations, he said if China and Japan can do robust business together despite political differences, then why not India with its neighbours. “World is not just about goods and money but about people as well. The discourse of global trade has to change and take this into consideration,” he added.

He said it is for the Indian diplomacy to address the hindrances that have emerged in neighbourhood policies. He said India’s neighbouring countries are all taking advantage of various connectivity and infra projects that the country is developing.

He said ASEAN holds an important position in India's foreign policy. Today, we have started supplying power to Myanmar for the first time. This, he said, is a culmination of the government’s aggressive Look East policy. He said India is doing all it can to strengthen ties with China, Korea and Japan. He said a number of economic corridors, industrial parks and connectivity projects are coming up in India in collaboration with foreign countries. India today is in the midst of major initiatives and campaigns for boosting manufacturing, infrastructure, technology and clean environment, he said.

On US, he said both sides have “deeper cooperation” even as ties with Europe have been “less volatile”. India’s foreign policy is conscious of fact that demands are going to grow ... pressures of international economic consequences pose as a challenge,” he said. He said energy security forms a crucial part of Indian diplomacy. He added that focus will be on hydroelectric projects and expanding nuclear energy programme.

He said every Indian embassy around the world has a commercial attache, which shows the government’s focus on inviting investments and also investing abroad.

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