Gateway Features
Assessing South Africa’s G20 Presidency
Courtesy: Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA (DIRCO)
The Group of Twenty (G20), a consequential plurilateral grouping, is the creation of 21st-century diplomacy. So far, it has commanded much space in international discourse. It has also facilitated regular annual interactions among key world leaders on global issues, serving as an indicator of their willingness to collaborate to address shared challenges. The G20 comprises 19 countries, the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). As the premier forum for international cooperation, it accounts for approximately 85 per cent read more
Essay: Mecca Accord re-engineers regional security?
Courtesy: Gateway House
The recent attacks in Saudi Arabia, allegedly carried out by non-state actors in Iraq and Yemen, aligned with the Iranians, failed to trigger the much-touted "Article 5" of the newly-signed Mecca Accord and did not result in Pakistan and Turkiye coming to the aid of Saudi Arabia to defend against the outside military aggression. Skeptics of the Mecca Accord have been quick to dismiss the Mecca Accord itself, in light of these recent developments as being completely ineffective and worthless. read more
Russia-China trade ties grow amid sanctions
Courtesy: Global Times
At the Sept 1-4 annual Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov announced that Russia-China bilateral trade grew by 22% in the first half of 2026 and exceeded $135 billion. Bilateral trade had fallen by 6.9% in 2025 after a record high of $245 billion a year earlier, on account of a reduction in the value of Chinese crude imports from Russia and a fall in Russian imports of Chinese read more
India bids for UNSC
Courtesy: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar
On July 13, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched India’s official campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for 2028-29. The elections will be held in June 2027, and India’s competitor for the Asia-Pacific seat is Tajikistan If elected, this will be India’s ninth time on the UNSC. The UNSC is today the UN’s most significant limb wherein its members, in particular the P5the U.S., UK, France, Russia and China – preside over the maintenance of global peace and security. read more
Research
India and Indonesia have a comprehensive strategic relationship built on their ancient and modern histories, and a flourishing relationship sustained by trade, economic exchange and people-to-people contact. The India-Indonesia Track 1.5 Dialogue, hosted by Gateway House and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia, aims to provide policy recommendations to promote innovation and navigate evolving governance issues through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Foreign Affairs
Not long ago in the sweep of history, countries that had once been buried behind the Iron Curtain, and even some Soviet republics, were transformed into members of the solidly democratic club. Some of those that weren’t, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan, experienced mass revolts against rigged elections and corrupt misrule amid widespread public yearning to join the West. Free trade was again celebrated as an instrument of peace; Kant’s “democratic peace theory” enjoyed a revival.
Book Reviews
In this book, C. Raja Mohan analyses Asia’s shifting political, economic, military, and technological balance, with particular focus on U.S.-China and India-China relations. He argues that India’s rise from a middle power to an emerging great power will require stronger hard power, diplomatic creativity, economic vitality, and domestic consensus. Yet, amid tensions over tariffs, Russian oil, Gaza, and the U.S.-Iran conflict, India’s strategic path remains challenging.
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