New Delhi, Feb. 15 -- The speech given by the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, on January 9, at the Locarno suite of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, now referred to as the 'Locarno' speech in diplomatic circles, has come to be viewed as a guide to the future direction of the UK's foreign policy, particularly in relation to India.

The speech signifies a clear departure from the UK's traditional foreign policy focus on regions such as Europe and the United States. It highlights a pivot toward emerging economies and the Global South, with India's significant role in the Indo-Pacific and its growing geopolitical and economic importance being central to this strategy.

Lammy's speech also outlined the...