European_flags_at_European_Commission_HQ_Brussels_thumb800 Courtesy: Computer World UK
23 March 2017

EU: unity not a value anymore?

Britain will begin its formal exit process from the European Union on March 29. Signs that the European Union will survive are clear: public opinion is turning finally in its favour. The European economy has resumed creating jobs, and the unemployment rate, although still high, is steadily declining. Yet, what remains of the project is likely to have a different animus

IORA photo Courtesy: Gateway House
2 March 2017

IORA summit: sharing commonalities

The two decade-old Indian Ocean Rim Association holds its first ever summit next week. Maritime safety and security in the region is a paramount concern as also enhanced trade, but will the Blue Economy be included as a priority? Another area of concern is devising modalities for cooperation with dialogue partners, such as the United States, China and Japan

1200px-Malabar_07-2_exercise Courtesy: Wikipedia
14 February 2017

A democratic quadrilateral in Asia?

A strategic coming together of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India was close to fruition some years ago, impelled initially by the tsunami of 2004. The spirit of the enterprise remains alive even now, and there are many merits in India joining the quad, but such an arrangement can skew existing Asian equations, jeopardising the Act East policy

28455374735_17cf79553a_b Courtesy: Flickr
31 January 2017

Saudi prince: not quite a game changer?

Prince Salman’s accession to the throne after the death of Saudi King Abdullah on 23 January 2015 has been a game changer, both domestically and in West Asian politics. Within days, he sidelined rivals within the House of Saud, and took on Iran with a confrontational policy. But two years later, the results of his new strategy disappoint

NATO Courtesy: NATO/Flickr
21 July 2016

Brexit, NATO, EU: emerging dichotomies

In the aftermath of Brexit, the recently concluded NATO Summit highlighted the emerging asymmetry between NATO and the EU on their respective policy positions towards Russia. Has the expansion of NATO and the EU to absorb Eastern Europe, and the consequent large migration flows, been responsible for the visible cracks within the Europe?

475937 Courtesy: Flickr/Times Asi
21 July 2016

UNCLOS, undone by China?

China's refusal to accept the ruling of The Hague greatly harms its international reputation and will fuel regional concerns about China's rise. Nationalist sentiments stirred up by a sustained media campaign heighten the risk of a confrontation, but there is also a possibility for the Philippines to use its new leverage to its advantage through new negotiations.

1023-modi-cameron-mea Courtesy: MEA / Flickr
30 June 2016

The dislocations of Brexit: can India gain?

The result of the Brexit referendum is nothing less than a body blow to Bretton Woods organisations, International Monetary Fund-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)-World Bank, that originated at the end of the Second World War. The possibility of an Asian century becomes more feasible, if India can be nimble enough to make the most of the opportunity which has presented itself in Europe.

ukip-eu-protest-5 Courtesy: Business Insider
24 June 2016

Brexit: a wake-up call for global elites

The message from Brexit is simple: the post-second world war financial, trade and industrial order and security arrangements that developed around Bretton Woods, have passed their expiry date. This is the time for countries, regional unions and global institutions to reform themselves – putting people instead of regulations and strategic objectives at the centre of their decision-making.