Chennai: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had an intuitive understanding that the post Cold-war world required India to drastically rework its relationships and this vision led to a new beginning in ties with the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday.
Paying rich tribute to Vajpayee on his 96th birth anniversary, Jaishankar said the eminent leader warmly reached out to various regions and continents that laid ground for expansion of India’s overall external engagements, particularly with Europe, Africa, Latin America and countries in the ASEAN region.
He said India’s principled approach of engaging China on the basis of mutual respect and mutual sensitivity also reflects Vajpayee’s thinking.
In the neighbourhood, Jaishankar said, Vajpayee âradiated goodwill and friendshipâ while being clear that terrorism and trust would not co-exist.
The external affairs minister described Mr Vajpayee’s decision to carry out the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998 as his âmost enduringâ contribution.
“This vision led to a new beginning with the United States that has since been developed by successive governments on both sides. It required us as a nation to overcome difficult moments and continuing concerns,” he said.