Asian Age/Parul Chandra

Until now "Look East" was the buzzword for foreign policy satraps of South Block. Now, in what will mark a strategic broadening of the country's foreign policy approach, India has decided to adopt a "Look Middle East" policy too.

The decision to go in for substantive engagement with countries of the Arab world was taken following the recent heads of mission conference in Manama, Bahrain earlier this month that was chaired by external affairs minister Salman Khurshid.

Indian envoys based in the Gulf countries, North Africa and West Asia participated in its two-daylong deliberations and it is here that the concept of "Look Middle East” was born.

The aim of the policy is to have a holistic approach to countries in the Arab world, said sources.

So, instead of dividing the Arab world into the Gulf and West Asian regions, it was felt that it would be more apt to broadbase ties under the broader ambit of the West Asia.

India hopes to have more intensive ties with these countries in the defence arena too, sources said.

As part of this broadening of ties with the Arab world, India will be signing an agreement with the 22-member League of Arab States here on Tuesday in which the two sides will elevate their partnership to the ministerial level.

The pact will be signed when Mr Khurshid meets the visiting secretary-general of the Arab League, Nabil Al Araby. Sources said, the pact will essentially mean greater engagement in both strategic and economic areas.

This is as against the "buyer-seller relationship that we have with these countries at present,” sources added.

An indication of India’s growing interest in the Arab world can be gaugedfrom the flurry of visits here by leaders from this region.

In the last one month alone, Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak and foreign minister of UAE Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan have been here.

India, in fact, went out of its way to sign the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, making it an exception as it’s inking with other countries has been frozen since 2011.

(The views expressed above are the personal views of the writer)

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India to adopt 'Look Middle East' policy