By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian ambassadors and high commissioners are set to gather in the national capital for a four-day meet starting Monday – their first annual conference after the formation of the new government.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, the conference will cover the subjects of the global financial crisis, climate change and the Indian economy.
The Conference of Heads of Missions abroad will be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and other senior cabinet members.
Besides, there will be other noted speakers, including National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is himself a former diplomat, and MP Kapila Vatsayayan.
The MEA statement said the conference will allow the government to give directions to the Indian envoys on major foreign policy objectives after the formation of the new government in May 2009.
“This annual interaction between the government of India and its ambassadors will therefore help to ensure that the latter are well-equipped to shoulder the complex responsibilities required to fulfil the Indian envoys’ responsibilities in a rapidly changing global environment,” it added.
The last such meeting was held in December 2008 – during which it was decided to make the conference an annual feature.