… There is a lot of goodwill for India in Africa. African countries appreciate its non-intrusive policies and look towards it for lead and initiative. However, India’s approach has been request-based and not initiative-based... Basically, a cohesive policy and strategic vision for its partnership with Africa is needed ... India must develop a strategic foreign policy and make it initiative-based ...

… India has to develop its own technologies, an electronic manufacturing base, R&D infrastructure and a highly skilled human resource… talented professionals available in the cyber eco system have to be brought in for research on indigenization of cyber technologies… Though a little late, but given the required priority, funding and impetus India has the capability to develop indigenous technology in cyber domain …

… with the global and regional dynamics remaining in a state of flux it should be India’s effort to build on the existing defence and security relationships .. as also strive to enhance such an engagement with other members of ASEAN whose interests are more inclined towards China or elsewhere... most of these nations see India as somewhat of a benign balancer in the South East Asian region …

The international symposium “Shared Values and Democracy in Asia” was being held as the fourth symposium of a pair of Japan-India conferences. The first symposium was held in India in 2015. In 2016, the second symposium was held in Tokyo. The third symposium was held in Myanmar in 2017. This symposium was planned and organized for the purpose of discussing and trying to find a common thread of core values in Asia that have made many countries in this region embrace democratic systems of government.