Today, as we celebrate the 81st birth anniversary of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, it may be appropriate to revisit his spectacular success in the conduct of India's foreign policy.
No nation's foreign policy can be successful unless it is so with its neighbours. He therefore gave high priority to developing friendship with countries of South and Southeast Asia while, at the same time, giving a boost to economic and political relations with the West and global powers.
The mature handling and statesmanship displayed by India’s youngest ever Prime Minister, whose contribution to international affairs, as stated by then President R Venkataraman, "Lived up to the standards set by Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi..."
"The very fact that as many as 63 world leaders joined his funeral procession bore testimony to the stature that Rajiv had acquired among world statesmen in the short span of five years during which he was the Prime Minister.”