New Delhi May 28 (IANS) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that her ministry s economic diplomacy attracted $209.83 billion for India s flagship development programmes.
"Diplomacy for development was never there in our foreign policy " Sushma Swaraj said while addressing her annual press conference here.
"We not only adopted this but took on our shoulder the responsibility of all our Prime Minister s flagship programmes - Clean India Skill India Digital India Start-up India Smart Cities - and are working with those countries which have not only the necessary techniques in the respective areas but can also contribute funds for these " she stated.
"Today I am happy to inform you that from May 2014 to February 2018 funds worth $209.83 billion have come to this country."
She also said that the External Affairs Ministry also created two new divisions for this - Department of Economic Diplomacy and Department of States - and merged both of them.
"This is because these funds will at the end only go to our states " she said.
"So there can be a joint secretary who can maintain ties with the states as well as look after economic diplomacy."

--IANS ab/bg