Editing Indian National Congress (section)

=== Foreign policies ===
[[File:NATO vs. Warsaw Pact (1949-1990).svg|thumb|The ''aligned countries'' on the northern hemisphere: [[NATO]] in blue and the [[Warsaw Pact]] in red.]]
[[File:Stevan Kragujevic, Tito, Naser, Nehru, Dolazak na Brione.jpg|thumb|right|alt=refer caption|[[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], and [[Josip Broz Tito]], pioneers of the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]]]
<!--[[File:President Barack Obama with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 2009-11-24(2).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|alt= Erstwhile PM Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama the then US president, meet in Washington, D.C. | Manmohan Singh with erstwhile President of the United States [[Barack Obama]] at the [[White House]]]]-->

Throughout much of the [[Cold War]] period, Congress supported a foreign policy of [[Non-Aligned Movement|non-alignment]] that called for India to form ties with both the Western and Eastern Blocs, but to avoid formal alliances with either.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jawaharlal-nehru-the-architect-of-indias-foreign-policy/articleshow/58767014.cms |title=Non-Aligned Movement: Jawaharlal Nehru – The architect of India's foreign policy|work=The Times of India |date=20 May 2017 |access-date=16 August 2018}}</ref> US support for Pakistan led the party to endorse a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union in 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ChanakyaCode/the-indo-pak-war-1965-and-the-tashkent-agreement-role-of-external-powers/ |title=The Indo-Pak war 1965 and the Tashkent agreement: Role of external powers |date=24 October 2015 |work=The Times of India |access-date=16 August 2018}}</ref> Congress has continued the foreign policy started by P.&nbsp;V. Narasimha Rao. This includes the [[India–Pakistan relations|peace process with Pakistan]], and the exchange of high-level visits by leaders from both countries.<ref name=peace>{{cite news|title=Position of negotiation.|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/loc-violation-are-talks-enough-or-should-india-take-action-582121.html|access-date=18 August 2014|publisher=[[Firstpost]]|agency=[[Network 18]]|date=9 January 2013}}</ref> The UPA government has tried to end the border dispute with the People's Republic of China through negotiations.<ref name="Economist news">{{cite news|title=India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, in Beijing to discuss matters of trade and border defence.|url=https://www.economist.com/news/world-week/21588422-politics-week
|access-date=18 August 2014|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=26 October 2013}}</ref><ref name=republic>{{cite news|title=Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Beijing|url=http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2008/01/14/indian-prime-minister-manmohan-singh-visits-beijing.html|access-date=18 August 2014|work=China Briefing|agency=Dezan Shira & Associates|publisher=Business Intelligence|date=14 January 2008}}</ref>
[[Afghanistan–India relations|Relations with Afghanistan]] have also been a concern for Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/17474/indiaafghanistan_relations.html|title=India-Afghanistan Relations|access-date=11 December 2008|last=Bajoria|first=Jayshree|date=23 October 2008|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081129231738/http://www.cfr.org/publication/17474/indiaafghanistan_relations.html|archive-date=29 November 2008}}</ref> During Afghan President [[Hamid Karzai]]'s visit to New Delhi in August 2008, Manmohan Singh increased the aid package to Afghanistan for the development of schools, health clinics, infrastructure, and defence.<ref name=BBC2>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7540204.stm|title=India announces more Afghan aid|date=4 August 2008|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> India is now one of the single largest aid donors to Afghanistan.<ref name=BBC2 /> To nourish political, security, cultural and economical connections with central Asian countries, it launched [[Connect Central Asia]] policy in 2012. This policy is aimed at strengthening and expanding India's relations with [[Kazakhstan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], and [[Uzbekistan]]. [[Look East policy (India)|Look East policy]] was initiated in 1992 by [[Narsimha Rao|Narasimha Rao]] to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia to bolster its standing as a regional power and a counterweight to the strategic influence of the People's Republic of China. Subsequently, in 1992 Rao decided to bring into open India's relations with Israel, which had been kept covertly active for a few years during his tenure as a Foreign Minister, and permitted Israel to open an embassy in New Delhi.<ref name="IsraelRao">{{cite news |title=A timeline of India's ties with Israel |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/9zCAQDe5L5mKdtU21A6pkN/Narendra-Modi-in-Israel-A-timeline-of-Indias-ties-with-Isr.html |access-date=2 August 2021 |newspaper=Mint |agency=HT Media |date=4 July 2017}}</ref> Rao decided to maintain a distance from the [[Dalai Lama]] to avoid aggravating Beijing's suspicions and concerns, and made successful overtures to [[Tehran]].<ref name="Irish1996">{{cite news |last1=Bedi |first1=Rahul |title=Permission for Dalai Lama films denied |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/permission-for-dalai-lama-films-denied-1.41053 |access-date=2 August 2021 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=19 April 1996}}</ref>

Even though the Congress foreign policy doctrine stands for maintaining friendly relations with all the countries of the world, it has always exhibited a special bias towards the Afro-Asian nations. It played active role in forming [[Group of 77]] (1964, [[Group of 15]] (1990), [[Indian Ocean Rim Association]], and [[SAARC]]. Indira Gandhi firmly tied Indian anti-imperialist interests in Africa to those of the Soviet Union. She openly and enthusiastically supported liberation struggles in Africa.<ref name="MEAIndira">{{cite web |title=India – Zambia Relations |url=https://mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/Zambia_Jan_2016.pdf |publisher=Ministry of External Affairs (India) |access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref> In April 2006, New Delhi hosted an India–Africa summit attended by the leaders of 15 African states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/several-african-leaders-to-attend-africa-india-summit-au-says/|title=Several African leaders to attend Africa-India summit, AU says|access-date=11 December 2008|date=28 March 2008|publisher=African Press International}}</ref>

The party opposes arms race and advocates disarmament, both conventional and nuclear.<ref name="IndiaToday2000">{{cite news |last1=Mitra |first1=Sumit |title=Congress divided against itself on whether India should have more nuclear tests |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20000508-congress-divided-against-itself-on-whether-india-should-have-more-nuclear-tests-777525-2000-05-08 |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=India Today |agency=Living Media Pvt. Ltd. |date=8 May 2000}}</ref> When in power between 2004 and 2014, Congress worked on [[India–United States relations|India's relationship with the United States]]. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the US in July 2005 to negotiate an [[India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement]]. US president [[George W. Bush]] visited India in March 2006; during this visit, a nuclear agreement that would give India access to nuclear fuel and technology in exchange for the [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]] inspection of its civil [[nuclear reactor]]s was proposed. Over two years of negotiations, followed by approval from the IAEA, the [[Nuclear Suppliers Group]] and the [[United States Congress]], the agreement was signed on 10 October 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/6513319.html| title=U.S., India ink historic civilian nuclear deal|access-date=11 December 2008|date=11 October 2008|work=People's Daily}}</ref> However, it has not signed [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] (NPT) and [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]] (CTBT) due to their discriminatory and hegemonistic nature.<ref name="NTI2019">{{cite web |title=Indian Nuclear Weapons Program |url=https://www.nti.org/learn/countries/india/nuclear/ |publisher=The Nuclear Threat Initiative|access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="Sipri2010">{{cite report |last1=Gopalaswamy |first1=Bharat |title=India and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: To Sign or not to Sign? |date=January 2010 |url=https://www.sipri.org/publications/sipri-policy-briefs/india-and-comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-sign-or-not-sign |publisher=SIPRI |access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref>

Congress' policy has been to cultivate friendly relations with Japan as well as [[European Union]] countries including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.<ref name=conversation>{{cite web|last1=Haass|first1=Richard N.|title=A Conversation with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh|url=http://www.cfr.org/india/conversation-prime-minister-dr-manmohan-singh/p20840|date=23 November 2009|website=cfr.org|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]|access-date=18 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819083228/http://www.cfr.org/india/conversation-prime-minister-dr-manmohan-singh/p20840|archive-date=19 August 2014}}</ref> Diplomatic relations with Iran have continued, and negotiations over the [[Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline]] have taken place.<ref name="Iran relations">{{cite web|title=The 'peace pipeline'|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/the-peace-pipeline|work=The National|location=Abu Dhabi|date=28 May 2009|access-date=18 August 2014}}</ref> Congress' policy has also been to improve relations with other developing countries, particularly Brazil and South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|title=India-South Africa relations|url=http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/India-SouthAfrica_Relations.pdf|website=mea.gov.in|publisher=[[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]], [[Government of India]]|access-date=18 September 2014}}</ref>