Cabinet nod to opening Indian missions in Estonia, Paraguay, Dominican Republic

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the opening of Indian missions in Estonia, Paraguay and Dominican Republic, a move that will help promote trade and cultural relations with these countries, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said.

Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always pitched for maintaining good relations with all countries and the move was part of the efforts to further strengthen ties with other nations.

An official statement said the opening of Indian missions in these countries will help expand India's diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade and investment and facilitate stronger people-to-people contacts.

It said the decision will also bolster India's political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for the country's foreign policy objectives.

"The objective of our foreign policy is to build a conducive environment for India's growth and development through partnerships with friendly countries. There are presently missions and posts across the world which serve as conduits of our relations with partner countries," it said.

The statement said the decision to open the three new missions is a forward-looking step in pursuit of India's national priority of growth and development or 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.

"Enhancement of India's diplomatic presence will, inter-alia, provide market access for Indian companies and bolster Indian exports of goods and services. This would have a direct impact in augmenting domestic production and employment in line with our goal of a self-reliant India or 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'," it said.

The statement said Indian missions in these countries will also better assist the Indian community and protect their interests.