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 here Wednesday.

Making a suo motu statement in the Lok Sabha on Modi's foreign visits, Sushma Swaraj said during the past few months the prime minister has met around 45 international leaders from every continent.

"There is unprecedented optimism about India's rapid progress under the 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.

Sushma Swaraj gave details of the engagements ever since the NDA government came to power in May.

"In the past six months, we have moved with speed and resolve, rarely seen in Indian external engagement, to rebuild our partnerships across the world," she said.

The government has "set new milestones and reached new frontiers in India's foreign policy. The global response has been just as unparalleled", Swaraj said.

The external affairs minister 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."

Swaraj said India's engagements with the US also helped secure the country's interests on food security in the World Trade Organization (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.

Swaraj said Modi's strong belief in a shared future of India's neighbourhood reflected in several concrete steps like participation of leaders from neighbouring countries at the swearing in ceremony May 26, his choice of Bhutan as his first foreign destination, and his recent visit to Nepal.