The five-pronged approach includes recognition of India’s relations with the world, greater integration with the world economy to the of benefit of India, stable, long term and mutually beneficial relations with all major powers, greater regional cooperation and connectivity in South Asia, promoting India’s experiment of pursuing economic development within the framework of a plural, secular and liberal democracy that has inspired people around the world.

Addressing the annual conclave of the Heads of Indian Missions Abroad here on Monday, Dr Singh said : “This is a time of immense flux in the world and you work in an environment of expanding responsibilities, rising expectations and relentless public scrutiny. That you do this with modest resources and often in difficult and dangerous circumstances is to your great credit.”

He said over the past nine years, India has sought “to engineer a fundamental reset” in the foreign policy.

The change in the country’s foreign policy is based on “India’s role and destiny in world affairs,” he said and added : “The great leaders of our freedom struggle instinctively saw the intrinsic link between our foreign policy and the economic aspirations of our people.”

The Prime Minister appreciated the role of the Ministry of External Affairs in adapting with the changing global environment and emerging responsibilities.