Courtesy: Wikipedia
India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is in Nepal this week in line with the government’s commitment to prioritise ties with neighbours. Ties between India and Nepal have not been smooth with Nepal seeking a review of the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed between the two countries
Courtesy: MEA/Government of India
The launch of the BRICS bank can now give the member countries confidence to experiment with other geoeconomic ambitions. Incubating a non-dollar financial architecture can be the next goal. There are existing models to build upon but India will need smart economic diplomacy to secure its interests
Courtesy: Gateway House
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for the BRICS summit is an opportunity for India to intensify its engagement with South America and reactivate the long-dormant IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) grouping. This grouping is a promising partnership comprising of different models of democracies spread over three continents
Courtesy: idevie.com
The New Development Bank was formalised at the just concluded meeting of the leaders of the BRICS nations in Fortaleza in Brazil this week. The location is to be Shanghai. The more appropriate and natural choice for locating the bank would have been Mumbai. There are several reasons why
Courtesy: wikimedia/commons
Brazil is all set to host the 6th BRICS Summit from July 15. In light of the fact that most developing nations have concerns over the pro-western bent of the World Bank and the IMF, the BRICS initiative of setting up of a Development Bank needs to gain momentum and the nations should finalise the mandate on a priority basis
Courtesy: MEA/Indian Embassy Thimphu
Narendra Modi’s first month in office has seen him deftly handle India’s neighbours, accept an invitation to visit Washington, enhance relations with Bhutan and accord due importance to China. In the same manner, Modi will also have to move quickly and firmly to reassure foreign investors of the dependability of India’s fiscal environment
Courtesy: Department of National Defence, Republic of Philippines
The recently held Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum of Asia’s defence establishments, highlighted the growing anxieties over China’s belligerent pursuit of territories under dispute in the South China Sea. The U.S. and Japan have made it clear that they will strongly challenge China’s claims. It’s a tussle that will throw up new security dilemmas for India in the future
Courtesy: Akshay Mathur
Shanghai Forum has emerged as a leading platform for discussing geopolitics in Asia. This year’s forum focused on the impact of rising geopolitical tensions in Asia and the need for Asian countries to develop creative approaches to economic development in the wake of the western financial crisis
Courtesy: Chaipau/WikimediaCommons
The Narendra Modi government has made the North East a developmental and foreign policy priority. Gateway House has conceived a robust regional economic plan called the “Seven Sisters’ Corridor” that can be the template for a new North East.
Courtesy: Nandu Chitnis/Wikimedia Commons
Russia’s gas supply agreement with China represents a shift away from its traditional European markets, towards Asia. The deal presents a blue print that India can follow to secure its own energy supplies and by drawing Russia into the LNG business, India can help bring down natural gas prices