PEOPLE WHO WILL DETERMINE OUR FOREIGN POLICY FOR NEXT 5 YEARS

The next 5 years i.e. from 2009-2014 will be a very crucial phase to India. As the Global Economies shrink, India along with China are the only saving grace to the Global economy. This is the best time for our Government to act proactively during their fresh term and emerge as a force to reckon in the future years. This time round we luckily don’t have the Left parties to block the positive initiatives. So there is no reason why India emerges as a Important Global Power, if not a super power in the next half a decade. Let’s have a look at the people who will be responsible for the above.

1. Dr.Manmohan Singh – Prime Minister: Dr.Manmohan Singh is the 14th and current Prime Minister of the Republic of India. This is his 2^nd term as PM. Oxford educated Singh was responsible for the famous Economic Reforms of ‘92 which got India out of domestic exile and opened its doors to the World. He has served in several Cabinet posts as well as in Planning Commission and RBI. He was the one who made the Indo – US nuclear deal possible.

2. S M Krishna – Union Minister for External Affairs: Mr. Krishna, alumni of George Washington University is the External Affairs minister in the new Manmohan Singh Cabinet. Although his selection came as a surprise but nobody doubted his credentials. Largely responsible for transforming Bangalore into a Global IT destination, this veteran congressman has been a super hit with international diplomats.

3. AK Antony – Union Minister for Defense: This former Kerala Chief Minister has been the favorite of Gandhi Family. He took as the Defense Minister from Pranab Mukherjee in the last government and continues to hold his post even in the new cabinet.

4. Shashi Tharoor – MOS for External Affairs: Shashi Tharoor is the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and a member of the Indian Parliament from the Trivandrum constituency in Kerala. He served as the UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information between June 2002 and February 2007, during the term of Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations. In 2006, he was the official candidate of India for the office of United Nations Secretary-General, and came second out of seven official candidates in the race.

5. Shiv Shankar Menon – Foreign Seceretary: Mr. Menon, is India's Foreign Secretary. Menon was the High Commissioner to Pakistan and served in China and Israel as ambassador and diplomat.A Masters in History from Delhi University, Menon will have a nearly three-year tenure. He also had a stint in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) as an Adviser. His stint in Beijing was also significant as it marked improvement in Sino-India relations, the high point being the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Shivshankar Menon has been a dynamic officer of the Indian Foreign Services who has since risen to the very top of his professional ladder.