Narendra Modi is among the top leaders of the world: Sushma Swaraj

Dehradun, May 28: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said India's prestige in the international arena has risen "dramatically" in the last one year, catapulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the top leaders of the world.

"It is no mean achievement that in just one year of his tenure our Prime Minister has emerged as one of the front ranking leaders of the world," Swaraj said here.

Swaraj, who is here to participate in programmes to mark completion of Modi government's one year in office, attributed the rise in India's prestige abroad to the "candour" with which the Prime Minister is dealing with neighbouring countries like China and the role played by the country in tackling the crises in Ukraine, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.

"We had to confront the crisis in these countries soon after taking over but we acted with confidence and were successful in rescuing thousands of our compatriots as well as people from our neighbouring countries," Swaraj said.

"Our Prime Minister earned the praise of Chinese leaders for the candour with which he put across his point of view before them. He told them clearly how by cementing ties the two neighbours could become a formidable force in South Asia," she said.

On India's diplomatic efforts regarding Pakistan, Swaraj said there is much more clarity today on India's stand on resumption of talks with the neighbour.

"We have offered three conditions for resumption of talks with Pakistan. One, all negotiation has to take place in a peaceful environment. Two, there should be no third party mediation and three, talks and trouble along the borders cannot go together," she said.

Contending that the country had taken big strides in bringing foreign investment, Swaraj said the first year was spent in generating confidence among potential investors abroad and the next year will see them coming to India.

PTI