The Russian city of Ufa, capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, played host to three major summits from July 8-10—BRICS, SCO and Russia's Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Here are some of the characteristics and developments from the summit in numbers
Courtesy: Wikipedia
The announcement in June of a Saudi-Israeli alliance against Iran has to be seen in the context of the strategic dimensions of India’s relations with Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, and the U.S. And it has far-reaching implications for India’s policy towards West Asia
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If, after nine years, BRICS remains a disparate grouping, and its trade and investment flows remain dismal, it is time to explore new avenues of cooperation to consolidate the alliance—and culture and education can provide the necessary cementing factor when combined with the New Development Bank
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The New Development Bank initiated by BRICS countries can reform and democratise global economic governance. But to reach this goal, in this critical period when the bank is preparing to operationalise, it must formulate an innovative institutional design. This article outlines four guiding principles for such a structure
Courtesy: US Embassy in Pakistan
Pakistan continues to receive succour from its long-time ally, the U.S., despite blundering about in its neighbourhood unabashedly- be it through righteous indignation or through generous courtesies. The external affairs ministry needs to improve its approach towards U.S. officials who are visiting India in order to better its relation with the country.
Courtesy: U.S. Senate/Wikimedia Commons
Hardliners in the U.S. argue that the Obama administration’s eagerness to declare success has given Iran an advantage in the negotiations on its nuclear programme. Even if the agreement between the U.S., its partners, and Iran is finalised in the coming days, Obama has the tough task of convincing the U.S. Congress to lift sanctions
Courtesy: Madaki/Wikimedia Commons
After respite from the U.S. government, Cuba now faces the daunting task of reviving its economy without having to give up on its political ideology. The Singaporean model of limited democracy is something Cuba could emulate.
Courtesy: www.info7.com
The Pacific Alliance—Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile—is one of the newest and most vibrant regional groupings in Latin American. Apart from the liberal foreign trade policies of these countries, they also have higher growth and lower inflation rates than their neighbours. India’s trade with the grouping has been growing, and as an observer member of the bloc, there is scope for much deeper engagement.
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
The visit of U.S. Defence Secretary Carter will help cement trust and expand the scope of India-U.S. defence cooperation. However, there are several important details around technology transfer that still need to be worked out before co-production of weapons can begin.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
The Trans-Pacific Partnership might soon be concluded if the U.S. Congress fast-tracks it, as recently announced, while the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement remains on slow-track. But the TPP, although ambitious, follows an outdated template, and it is the dynamic RCEP that can be a model for a new global rules-based framework