President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday outlined India’s foreign policy priorities as they addressed the participants of the 8th Annual Heads of Missions Conference being held here.

The four-day meet takes place at a time when India’s relations with China and Pakistan, its key neighbours, are under intense strain. The meet is expected to discuss India’s ties with major world powers as well as neighbouring countries.

“PM @narendramodi addresses 8th HOM Conference at New Delhi,” MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted along with pictures of the PM addressing the meet, being attended by around 120 envoys posted worldwide. The theme of the conference this year is ’’Effective Diplomacy, Excellent Delivery.’’

The HoMs called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. While addressing them, the President said the world was tiring of statements and resolutions. ‘’Our efforts should be to work with like-minded nations and global institutions to swiftly generate effective solutions and implement them efficiently. Every well conceived effort will have some positive outcome.’’

He said there was a new world order in which the entire humankind was challenged by compelling transnational issues that needed to be urgently addressed collectively and innovatively. Whether it was drug-resistant viruses, environmental degradation, pollution and climate change – or energy , water and food security, no single nation could claim to be free of deep concerns on account of these issues.

The President said the dynamics of the new world order must be well analysed and understood. As HoMs, they shall have to ensure that India, as a respected and responsible player in world affairs and an emerging economic power, responded to the new challenges appropriately – to its best advantage, safeguarding its core interests at all times. He stressed that this was a moment for strategic policy making, leadership, and pursuit of an independent foreign policy – based on principle, pragmatism and the time-honored philosophy ofVasudaiva Kutumbakam.

Mukherjee said the reforms and recent initiatives of the government had made India’s economy attractive for investors and the industrial sector viable for prospective partners. The renewed emphasis of the government on outcomes rather than processes was also a welcome step.