Foreign policy has critical role in India's status: Prez

New Delhi, Jun 12 (UNI) The 2006 Batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IPS) Probationers called on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

During her interaction with the Probationers, the President urged them to identify areas of bilateral cooperation that would be beneficial to the country, while they were posted abroad.

Ms Patil said that with its growing global role, India was looking at larger trade and investment volumes. The country required new technologies in a number of fields, such as in agriculture to increase productivity and usher in a Second Green Revolution and in energy to cater to the growing energy requirements, as well as environmentally friendly technologies.

She referred to her state visits to Brazil, Mexico and Chile in April this year, during which she discussed cooperation between India and Mexico for bringing about a Second Green Revolution. She also acquainted the leaders of these countries about the benefits of the Ayurvedic System of Medicine, which was appreciated by them.

The President also said that as India moved to the centre of the world stage, both in economic and political terms, the role of its foreign policy became more critical. Moreover, ''we are living in an inter-dependent and fast-changing world'' where it would be necessary to keep pace with developments across the globe.

As young diplomats, the President said, the Probationers must acquire the skills to represent India's rich heritage, its diverse culture, its secular polity and its economic strengths in an effective manner. She impressed on the Probationers the need to constantly update their knowledge and skills so as to take advantage of opportunities that can serve India's national interest.

At the same time they must make every effort to understand the ethos and culture of the countries in which they were posted. They should also get to know the systems and institutions of the country of their posting.

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