Year Ender: A Look Back At India's Diplomatic Landscape Calendar, How The World Turned The Spotlight On India's Foreign Policy?

As we bid adieu to the year 2023, India's diplomatic outreach became a centre stage for the world. The largest democracy in the world showed how its strength and strategic autonomy still stand out despite international pressure, global turmoil, and gradual shifts. The changing geopolitical landscape, characterised by realignments and recalibrations among major powers, demands nimble, flexible, and open-ended diplomacy from India and the watchers of geopolitics reiterated India's foreign policy that yielded results through its action. Let's look at the year going by and the major significant events that showcased India's growing prowess.

The year 2023 began with a taste, tradition and which has over time become part of the fabric of the event. January had a chief guest for India's Republic Day. India, which has long embraced the concept of "Atithi Devo Bhava," had a West Asian leader as its chief guest, Egyptian President Abdel Fateh El Sisi. This was the first time that an Egyptian President was the Chief Guest for the year 2023, though he was the fifth West Asian leader to pay a visit as Republic Day's chief guest. Reciprocating the long ties between the two countries, PM Modi too visited Egypt in June this year to cement the relationship further.

From being the first responder to being an independent-minded polity, India's action speaks louder than its words. And New Delhi has proven this through Operation Dost. February began with a tragedy. A massive earthquake struck southern Turkey and parts of Syria, causing immense loss of life and damage to property in the region.

India was quick to launch 'Operation Dost' for assistance to the quake-hit countries. The operation was christened 'Dost', which means 'Friend' in Hindi. A picture of a Turkish woman tightly hugging an Indian female military officer also went viral during the operation, and India's support in such a time of grief only testifies its humanitarian preference over politics. Seen as a grand test for Indian diplomacy, foreign ministers from the world's biggest economies gathered in March this year in New Delhi for the G20, or the Group of 20 for Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Amid the festering divisions over the Russia-Ukraine war, India had a big responsibility on its shoulders. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov met with each other and roughly spoke for some minutes, which was seen as the 'first such' engagement since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began. The event was started by PM Modi, who appealed to "rise above the differences.".

As India's diaspora continues to grow, so will the challenges India faces in protecting its diverse and geographically dispersed population. One such challenge that came in April was to get Indians out of war-torn Sudan. India has a long history of successful evacuations of its citizens. On April 24, India launched Operation Kaveri to evacuate its citizens. A team of officials, including the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Air Force, and the Indian embassy in Sudan, were appointed by India to ensure the proper process of evacuation. During the evacuation, Indians were transferred from Sudan to the capital city of Khartoum, from where they were then flown back to India.

Apart from shouldering the G20, India also had a responsibility to host its toughest neighbours. Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, China, and India were under one roof during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the month of May in Goa. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also held a meeting with his then-Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, where the discussions focused on resolving outstanding issues and ensuring peace and tranquillity at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Also, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the first foreign minister to visit India after a gap of nearly 12 years. In 2011, then Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India. On his arrival, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar greeted Bhutto with the traditional 'Namastey' like the other ministers. The highlight of the meeting also remained EAM's presser in Goa, where he said ..."wake up and smell the coffee. 370 is history."

He was answering a question on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. On the issue of bilateral talks with Pakistan, Jaishankar ruled out the option until Pakistan addressed India's concerns about cross-border terrorism. He said, "Victims of terrorism do not sit together with perpetrators of terrorism to discuss terrorism."

Also marking India's consecutive invitations to the prestigious events, PM Modi attended the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Subsequently, PM Modi travelled to Sydney and Papua New Guinea to bolster the relationship and take ties to greater heights. It was also during this time that the Indian Prime Minister met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Hiroshima, the first time since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022. Another camaraderie in action was that of PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, which grabbed the headlines of all the major newspapers, television and digital media. Australian PM Anthony Albanese addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'the boss' during the mega Sydney event.

"The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," PM Albanese said, triggering a huge applause from the crowd at the jampacked Qudos Bank Arena. Addressing vandalism and growing Khalistani actions, PM Modi and Albanese discussed a range of topics that do not derail the relationship. PM Modi red-flagged the vandalism of Hindu temples in that country and said his counterpart, Anthony Albanese, had vowed 'strict action' against those guilty.

The month of June in the Indian calendar showed India's growing prowess and its influence on the global stage. On June 22, this year, Washington rolled out the red carpet for Prime Minister Modi. He was invited by President Joe Biden for a state visit and dinner, the highest of diplomatic receptions typically reserved for only the closest of allies. The visit highlighted the country's dual identity as a spiritual democracy and an economic power.

From emerging technologies, space, energy and defence, the bilateral relationship saw a momentum like never before. The two leaders greeted each other warmly on the South Lawn in a welcome featuring marching bands and honour guards. Despite the rainy weather, members of the Indian diaspora braved the rain to catch a glimpse of PM Modi. PM Modi during his US visit also appeared on Capitol Hill to address a joint meeting of Congress before a state dinner at the White House. He received a standing ovation as he entered the chamber to chants of "Modi, Modi".

Sri Lanka, which is an important partner for India in its 'Neighbourhood First Policy', undoubtedly counts on New Delhi due to its unwavering support extended during the island's worst economic crisis. In July of this year, India hosted Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. His visit was to reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two countries and explore avenues for enhanced connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation across sectors.During Sri Lanka's dramatic economic crash last year, India extended emergency financial support of about USD 4 billion. The island nation also acknowledged India's role in helping Colombo secure a nearly USD 3 billion package from the International Monetary Fund. On the other hand, India has also discussed its security concerns' with Sri Lanka due to Chinese vessels docking in Sri Lanka.

This month also saw the reflection of the growing strategic ties between New Delhi and Paris, where Prime Minister Modi was the guest of honour at France's traditional Bastille Day parade. India made history, on August 23rd, India's Moon mission Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the South Pole of the Moon. The only country to do so. India's mission was applauded from around the world and became the focus of discussions across the globe.

Notably, Prime Minister Modi was in South Africa for the BRICS summit. Addressing from there, the Prime Minister said that the success of Chandrayaan-3's soft landing on the South Pole of the Moon was not limited to one country but the success of mankind. As recently mentioned by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a joint statement with his Indian counterpart in Moscow, 'A triumph for Indian diplomacy, a triumph for multilateral diplomacy'. India pulled off a successful G20 summit (its first ever).

With its mega gathering and tangible outcomes, New Delhi shouldered its responsibility beyond its mark. The inclusion of the African Union was greeted with a sense of awe and admiration from all. At such a tumultuous time in the world, where conflicts and disagreements often take centre stage, India stood out as a champion of democracy through its actions.The month of September also had a diplomatic crisis. India and Canada engaged in a diplomatic row over the unsubstantiated public allegations that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made against India in the murder of a Khalistani terrorist in Canada. India has called these claims absurd and asked for evidence that Trudeau has so far failed to provide.

One of the worst and most tragic events of 2023 was on October 7. Hamas terrorists entered Israel, broke through Israel's border defences, and took several of them as hostages, including women and children. In response, Israel launched a military campaign to eradicate Hamas. The war is still ongoing, with no sight of a halt. It is the deadliest attack on Israel since its founding. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement that the country is "at war," and he calls up thousands of military reservists. India was among the first countries to react to the ongoing development.

On October 7, hours after the attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a statement on X expressing his deep shock at the "terrorist attacks" and saying, "We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour." Since then, PM Modi has spoken to various leaders and discussed the ongoing situation.

Despite global political developments, India doesn't miss events that matter to the world. Topics that shape the narrative and affect our daily lives. COP28 or the Conference of Parties, was one such mega event held in Dubai this year that showcased the efforts by various countries to limit global warming and held discussions to prepare for future climate change. The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 30 to December 12. India's engagements at COP-28, led by PM Modi, showcased a comprehensive and proactive approach to tackling climate change. During his UAE visit, PM Modi proposed to host COP33 in India in 2028.

In December, Jaishankar hailed the "very strong" and "very steady" relationship between India and Russia. He said in Moscow that 'India-Russia relations are the only constant in global politics', New Delhi and Moscow are "valued and steady partners." EAM landed in Moscow in December, emphasising that in the fields of defence, space and nuclear energy, countries only cooperate with those with whom they have a "high degree" of trust. He also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who extended an invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to visit Moscow. In his remarks, the Russian President said, "We are very pleased to note that despite the current turbulences in the world, relations with our traditional friends in Asia, with India and the Indian people are making steady headway."

Notably, the ties between India and Russia remained strong despite Russia being isolated by the West, that was disrupted in the wake of the February 2022 Ukraine war. (ANI)