Modi's charm diplomacy

With US President Donald Trump pulling his country out of the role of global leadership by walking away from the Paris Climate Change Agreement and earlier from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Accord, European nations are looking for new partners to sustain the objectives of globalisation. Prime Minister Modi, during his trip, especially in Germany, Spain and France, made a calibrated effort to convey that India was a willing partner. Experts here believe that Modi's trip attained significance for German Chancellor Angela Merkel with terms of exploring a lucrative Indian market for slump German industries, at a time when has to face elections later in September.

Besides putting his mark in the heart of Europe, Modi is understood to have also brought back momentum to India-Russia relationship amid growing concerns over Moscow's newfound closeness to China and Pakistan. Over the last one year, the emerging China-Russia-Pakistan nexus had sent warning signals in New Delhi, as it would change the strategic balance of the region. However, officials say, much of the worries have been addressed after PM Modi and Russian President Putin held one-on-one meetings. It appeared that Moscow too had its worries in terms of India's growing warmth and defence relations with the US. India, down the years, has been the biggest buyer of Russian arms. There is concern in Moscow that their defence codes and technology may get leaked to the US.

In 2015, while welcoming former US president Barack Obama on his second visit to India, Modi stated that apart from relations between countries, personal relations between leaders also matter in international politics. In his typical style, he was able to connect with Germany's Merkel, Russia's Putin and France's Macron as well. Ahead of the restrictive meetings, he told Merkel that India and Germany are made for each other. He struck a personal chord with Putin as he visited the Piskariovskoye Cemetery in St Petersburg where over five lakh victims of World War II and the 900-day siege of Leningrad are buried. He also recalled that the Russian President's brother and several of his family members who had laid down their lives for the country are also buried there. He told Putin, "You are a political leader whose family has made sacrifices for the glory of Russia. Your brother was martyred," referring to Putin's brother Viktor who died almost 70 years ago during the siege.