The opposition party says in its election manifesto that it will pay ‘greater attention’ to their immediate neighbours
Published : 05 Apr 2024, 11:39 PM
Congress party has promised to pay ‘greater attention’ to India’s immediate neighbours in the foreign policy if it is elected in the general elections.
The opposition party’s President Mallikarjun Kharge released the election manifesto at their New Delhi headquarters on Friday.
Senior leader Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi were also present among others.
“We will enhance economic and cultural relations between India and Bangladesh that are the two most populous countries in South Asia,” the party said in the manifesto.
The manifesto said the party will re-establish the primacy of the country’s “special relationships” with Nepal and Bhutan and strengthen them to mutual benefit.
It promised to work with Sri Lanka to restore the political and commercial relations between the two countries and help Sri Lanka resolve its political issues especially with the Tamils.
It will also repair relations with the Maldives and work with Myanmar to protect the political and human rights of the people of Myanmar.
About the country’s arch-rival Pakistan, the Congress said: “Engagement with Pakistan depends fundamentally on its willingness and ability to end cross-border terrorism.”
“We will work to restore the status quo ante on our borders with China and to ensure that areas where both armies patrolled in the past are again accessible to our soldiers. We will take the necessary steps to adjust our policy towards China until this is achieved,” the party said.
“Congress will work to repair India's international image that has been damaged by the present govern- ment's intolerance of dissent and suppression of human rights.”