Courtesy: Shwkyn231/Flickr
The year 2012 has been a busy one for foreign policy: from escalating disputes in the South China Sea to alternate financial instruments from the emerging world. India’s foreign policy too has its shown strengths and weaknesses. We present our top foreign policy Hotspots, Sweet spots and Blind spots for 2012.
Courtesy: trendscout::/Flickr
All the major economic forces in the world have come together in Africa in a new version of the Great Game. The competition for the continent’s resources will ultimately harm Africa unless Africa uses this opportunity to its advantage and to address its own serious problems.
Courtesy: Embassy of India, Venezuela
CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) chose India as its first dialogue partner, expressing its intent to expand trade and diversify. Given the increased political will from both sides, can CELAC be the driver for India-Latin America relations or will bilateral ties maintain the status quo?
Courtesy: PMO
India seems to be treading down the path of fruitless populism that crippled many countries in the past, most notably in Latin America. But like Latin America, India too can embark on a course-correction by implementing pragmatic economic policies alongside progressive but results-driven social spending.
Courtesy: Casa de Gobierno en Argentina/Wikimedia
The past decade has seen a significant rise in trade and investment flows between India and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. With an international system in flux, it is time for India and LAC to work together to shape a global order that better reflects current economic realities.
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
Since the late 1990s, both India and Peru have turned their focus to each others’ regions. New commercial exchanges can enhance the bilateral, but strategic elements must be incorporated if both countries are to benefit from each others' geopolitical alliances.
Courtesy: Addicted04/WikimediaCommons
Although India’s trade with Latin America has increased considerably, there is still much potential to be exploited. India’s should adopt an aggressive market oriented strategy by identifying local partners wherever possible to enable Indian companies to penetrate the region.
Courtesy: Martinmartin/WikimediaCommons
Latin America is witnessing an exponential rise in regional integration of business houses. The resource-rich nature of most Latin American economies has led to an inward concentration of investment, which makes it an extremely interesting prospect for Indian investors.
Courtesy: ESO/WikimediaCommons
The newly-formed Pacific Alliance bloc seems more like a political club to counterbalance the Atlantic-facing, Brazil-led Mercosur group. However, the bloc accounts for 30% of India’s trade with Latin America. Can India engage the group so it is not left out from their Asia focus?
Courtesy: rio20.net
In one of the biggest gatherings of its kind, world leaders will attend the Rio+20 summit to discuss sustainable development. The summit will take the environmental debate a step forward by helping create viable partnerships between countries to address issues of energy, water and other essential resources.