Indian missions to open in Estonia, Paraguay, Dominican Republic

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the opening of three Indian Missions in Estonia, Paraguay and Dominican Republic in 2021.

The Cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to an official statement, "Opening of Indian Missions in these countries will help expand India's diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade, investment and economic engagements, facilitate stronger people-to-people contacts, bolster political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for India's foreign policy objectives."

It further said the Indian mission in these countries will also better assist the Indian community and protect their interests.

The statement further said the decision to open these new Indian Missions will be a "forward-looking step in pursuit of our national priority of growth and development or Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".

"Enhancement of India's diplomatic presence will, inter-alia, provide market access for Indian companies and bolster Indian exports of goods and services. This would have a direct impact in augmenting domestic production and employment in line with our goal of a self-reliant India or 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'," the Cabinet said.

"The objective of our foreign policy is to build a conducive environment for India's growth and development through partnerships with friendly countries. There are presently Missions and Posts across the world, which serve as conduits of our relations with partner countries," the statement added.