The Congress party's consistent foreign policy has made India expand and diversify its commerce base and, as a result, it is poised to figure among the top three economies of the world by 2030, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said on Monday.
Speaking at a seminar on the 'Impact of Congress on Foreign Policy', organised to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Indian National Congress, he said that the Indian economy had recovered fast from the economic recession.
Its policy of non-alignment had helped build business and commercial relations with more than two dozen countries, Sharma added.
He said that the Congress had led the struggle against colonialism and started the process of decolonisation across the world.
Sharma said that while the first half of 20th century belonged to Mahatma Gandhi, the second was influenced by Nelson Mandela, who led the freedom movement in South Africa and inspired other countries under the colonial rule to fight for their independence.
Aligarh Muslim University vice chancellor Prof Abdulrahim P Bijapur said that that even before Independence, the Congress had made its views known on all important issues. Its decision on foreign policy in 1921 was a landmark one, he noted, adding that the party was alway conscious of the importance of having a consistent foreign policy.
Prof Bijapur said it was India that started the process of decolonisation, which resulted in many countries gaining independence by the end of the century.
Former Indian diplomat Pascal Alen Nazareth said that the Pokharan-II nuclear tests did not have the desired impact as Pakistan had also come out with series of nuclear tests and eventually made intrusions in Kargil.
He expressed concern over nuclear weapons landing in the hands of unstable countries.
