NEW DELHI: Ten days after India voted against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency for the second time, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that non-alignment was and remained an expression of New Delhi's "enlightened national interest".

Laying the foundation stone for the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan, which will house the Ministry of External Affairs, he said: "Non-alignment is neither an empty slogan nor a pretext to shirk the responsibility to define our worldview based on national interest."

Dr. Singh, who made no direct reference to the Iran vote, said India had "worked hard" to have the freedom to make policy choices.

"The means we adopt to pursue our enduring objectives of peace, national security and development will ... change from time to time."

Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru that foreign policy was the "outcome" of economic policy, he felt there could not be a disconnect between India's domestic capabilities, national aspirations and external policies.

"Our foreign policy must help create an international environment conducive to India's rapid social and economic development," Dr. Singh said. Access to markets, sources of energy, investment and advanced technologies posed new challenges to the country's external relations, he pointed out.

These challenges had led India towards new thrusts in its foreign policy and there were "new directions" in the approach towards major economic partners, the Asian neighbourhood and other developing countries.

Foremost challenge

"We face a turbulent neighbourhood. It is our foremost challenge to create a stable and cooperative atmosphere in our region that will allow us to concentrate our energies on tackling the problems at home and in our region," the Prime Minister maintained.

Complimenting Indian diplomats, Dr. Singh said that in the fast-evolving international situation, introspection and adaptation had to be continuous. Issues relating to energy security, for instance, had "implications" for India's foreign policy.

The Prime Minister felt the "turbulence" in the "Islamic world" required deeper analysis. "This also applies to the rise of China as a major global power. There is much that we can learn from China's economic development ... our diplomats must have a deep understanding of the factors which contribute to the rise and fall of nations and civilisations."

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