'India needs pragmatic economic, foreign policy'

Jaipur, Jan 30: India needs to adopt a pragmatic economic and foreign policy approach to continue its economic buoyancy, as multinational corporations (MNCs) have played a major role in the long economic march of China.

''China no longer remains a Communist country and 60 per cent of its export come from the multinational corporations,'' Former foreign secretary Shashank said today at a seminar on ''Liberalisation in developing countries on Ghandian Prespective'' organsied by the Centre for Gandhian Studies, University of Rajasthan.

The former foreign secretary said since the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) has failed to take off India's 'Looking East Policy' is a practical approach to foreign policy.

He said in the context of the ineffectiveness of the Non-Alignment Movement in the post cold war scenario, the emerging India-Brazil-South Africa partnership would go a long way in providing leadership to the developing countries.

Mr Shashank said India could emerge as a educational hub for the developing countires, as India's brain power has been globally recognised.

The former foreign secretary said 9/11 was a turing point in the US policy towards India. He said India has stood out as an excepetion to the Huntigton theory of 'clash of civilisation' with all religious groups live in harmony.

UNI