In New Zealand, EAM Jaishankar hails PM Modi's achievements

Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 20 years continuously as a head of government in State and Centre is not a small achievement as it requires successive mandates from the people, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said here on Thursday.

Jaishankar made the remarks while speaking at the launch of "Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery" at the Kiwi Indian Hall of Fame Awards 2022 in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, her cabinet colleagues and several lawmakers.

The minister shared the articles of fellow contributors to the book including late singer Lata Mangeshkar, Home Minister Amit Shah, Infosys co-founder Nandan Nikekani, Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO Uday Kotak and actor Anupam Kher.

''Prime Minister Modi inspires 20 years in office and many more still to come. The energy in the room today reiterated this faith shared by so many across the world," Jaishankar said.

He said the book - a compilation of chapters authoured by eminent intellectuals and domain experts - tells a lot about what's happening in India, the changes that are taking place, and the importance of the leadership and the vision that guides those changes.

''Sometime last year, a few of us were approached on a very interesting project. Prime Minister Modi was completing 20 years continuously as a head of government. This was putting together both his state and his federal 10 years. And in democratic politics. This is not a small achievement, because it requires successive mandates from the people,'' he said.

Indeed, from the time that Prime Minister Modi entered electoral politics, he has never lost, Jaishankar noted.

''So we were asked to reflect not just on his political success, but the change that he embodies for India. And that is the volume that we present to you today,'' he said while briefing about the book.

Jaishankar said the connection between Prime Minister Modi and the diaspora is very visible and serves as a great strength today for Indian foreign policy.

He said that Indian diplomacy has learned to be more responsible, effective, practical and ambitious. ''And this has happened to the executive and motivational efforts coming from the very top," he said.

On her part, Prime Minister Ardern said this year marks the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between India and New Zealand.

''We look to the opportunities that we have from this moment forward to strengthen our ties further. First and foremost, the integral bridge or foundation between our two countries in my mind, will always be our people,'' she said.

She noted that the Indian community first settled in New Zealand in the 1890s but has since become one of New Zealand's largest ethnic communities, accounting for about 5% of the country's population. ''It's no surprise that Hindi is our fifth most spoken language." ''We share an interest in a peaceful and prosperous region," she added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)