Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist January 2019 | Page 3

Publisher’s Note
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2019!
The new year begins as an empty slate with nothing but a feel of innumerable opportunities and optimism.
January always starts with great prospects and a sense of a new beginning, fresh beliefs and initiatives. We
hope 2019 brings prodigious gains for India in the international arena.
In the fi rst week of January, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Ministry of External Aff airs (MEA)
jointly organised their foremost international forum, the Raisina Dialogue, for the third year in a row. India
is indeed seeking to play a much more vigorous role in dealing with the enormous economic, environmental,
and political revolutions and disruptions aff ecting the world.
To give more credibility to the event, this year’s edition was inaugurated by two leaders: India’s Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Norway Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who was on a three-day state visit to India.
With an acute focus on all-round economic growth and development of a ‘New India’, the 9th Vibrant
Gujarat 2019 Summit was also inaugurated by Narendra Modi. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was
the chief guest at the summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had one-on-one meetings with the heads of
four states including Denmark, Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, and Malta.
He encouraged global business leaders and companies to come and invest in India where the business
climate is more investor-friendly now with the needed infrastructure and facilities in place.
Meanwhile, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth was the chief guest of 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
2019. Around 5,000 overseas Indians took part in the event. During the course of the three-day event, NRIs
were felicitated for their accomplishments across the world and critical matters regarding their experience,
involvement, opportunities and rights abroad were addressed. After the convention, participants visited Prayagraj
for Kumbh Mela.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa graced India’s Republic Day celebrations. India has made Africa
a foreign policy priority, with sustained high-level engagements with countries in the continent since May 2014.
Certainly, there is no shortage of such global dialogues and fora throughout the world, but some features
set these events apart and show India’s rising drive and aspiration to play a better, more practical role in global
aff airs. It is clear that India is discarding its silence and dealing with many partners on the global stage.
On an important note, general elections are due to be held in India to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha. It is no
surprise that India’s energies for the next few months will be mainly engrossed on the 2019 general election,
the world’s largest election.
Linda Brady Hawke
Publisher
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 1 • January 2019, Noida • 3