The annual event also gives us an opportunity to audit and clear up some longstanding myths that cloud our thinking and judgement on India’s multilateral diplomacy. Problematically, such views prevent us from better understanding what considerations influence India’s multilateral diplomacy, how her behaviour, influenced by strategic considerations, has changed over the years, and why it is important to view India’s multilateral positions in the context of the country’s economic trajectory. Ideas, not interests, predominantly shape India’s multilateral postures: Another enduring myth is that ideas and ideologies shape India’s multilateral postures. As a result, India’s positions and behaviour in these areas overtly colour our perceptions of India’s multilateral diplomacy. A focus on the MEA alone dents our grasp of India’s multilateral diplomacy.

Source: Mint September 27, 2017 18:22 UTC