Diplomacy has gone digital and India is at the forefront: Foreign secy

A crisis of this magnitude has required a coordinated global response, making sustained communication between countries all the more essential, Shringla said.

Diplomacy has gone strongly digital, adapting to the situation arisen due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and India has been at the forefront of it with Prime Minister Narendra Modi turning challenge into opportunity to start global conversations using virtual platforms, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday.

Speaking at a webinar organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on 'Implementing the Vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Shringla said Covid-19 has disrupted diplomatic calendars causing almost all international meetings and summits to be cancelled.

"While face-to-face meetings with counterparts have traditionally been considered essential to resolve complicated issues or conduct difficult negotiations, diplomatic engagement cannot be allowed to stop in their absence," he said.

A crisis of this magnitude has required a coordinated global response, making sustained communication between countries all the more essential, Shringla said.

The increase in tensions in different parts of the world, including on the Line of Actual Control between India and China, have only emphasised the criticality of continued communication, he said.

Diplomacy has adapted to the new situation and gone strongly digital, Shringla said.