Scoring on the diplomatic front

India has done well to reach out to countries and offer assistance

This is a peculiar moment in global politics. There is no sign greater than the coronavirus pandemic that the fate of nations are intertwined, and that there challenges which do not respect borders. This should have, logically, given strength to multilateralism. But the opposite has happened. Countries have turned more insular, focused on their domestic priorities. The fact that the rift between the United States (US) and China has grown hasn’t helped the cause of global cooperation. And international institutions which are supposed to provide leadership such as the World Health Organization face a serious crisis of credibility.

Given this backdrop, India has done well on the diplomatic front. It has stayed away from the US-China diplomatic tiff, seeking to leverage its relationship with both in the quest to battle the pandemic. It has used every platform to push its point of view, from convening a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to participating in a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement countries to nudging a conference of G20 countries. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar have been in touch with counterparts across the world. Most significantly, as reported by Hindustan Times on Monday, it has decided to provide assistance to over 90 countries, including drugs, testing kits and other medical support. Quiet and effective diplomacy at this stage, including building goodwill with other countries, will help India at a moment of realignment in the international system.