Courtesy: Gateway House
The 8th BRICS summit in Goa comes in the midst of major geopolitical events; Brexit, the U.S. elections, the South China Sea dispute, and the terror attacks in Uri. There is much need for BRICS to demonstrate to the world, its capability to manage internal differences and showcase a collective sense of cooperation
Courtesy: AP
India’s new focus on Balochistan has more to do with the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) than with Kashmir. China understands that CPEC may not be achievable. But there are real dangers in reviving Pakistani fears of secessionism and in broadening the field of Indo-Pakistani conflict beyond the confines of Kashmir.
Courtesy: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
Russia's decision to go ahead with joint military exercises with Pakistan is the latest move in Putin's flexible and pragmatic Asian foreign policy playbook. However, whether it will be worth having provoked Indian ire remains to be seen.
Courtesy: Eastern Economic Forum
The Second Eastern Economic Forum, held last month in Russia, could have been a time for India to forge stronger trade links, but the governments of both countries have to be more supportive before this can happen.
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs/Flickr
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent trip to Vietnam had both heads of state announcing an upgrade of their ‘Strategic Partnership’ into a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’. This added term captures the importance both sides have vested in the need to deepen the relationship and the prospect for future cooperation.
Courtesy: AFP
The unanticipated success of "radical" candidates in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election, including student activists central to the "umbrella revolution" of two years ago, has shaken the territory's pro-Chinese establishment and seized ground from more moderate pro-democracy voices. More fractious politics look set to continue in the immediate future.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
India's policy towards the Indian Ocean has begun to take a clear, coherent form with the signing of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement with the United States, an important bilateral visit to Vietnam by Prime Minister Modi, and an ambitious future being laid out by Foreign Secretary Jaishankar
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs / Flickr
The visit of the Myanmar president was a landmark visit, the first in five decades. It raises the fundamental question as to whether the visit will bring forth major strategic and economic gains in the India-Myanmar relationship.
Courtesy: Yahoo
The sheen is coming off China’s state-owned oil companies, which have been hit by the country’s political churning and by their own excesses of buying assets at the peak of the cycle. Now with oil prices low, India has the chance to make well-priced acquisitions without Chinese competition.
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs / Flickr
Egyptian president, Abdul al-Fattah al-Sisi, is set to arrive in New Delhi on 1 September 2016 with a delegation of important ministers and business leaders. This marks an important opportunity for the two countries to connect on a much wider range of regional and international issues than earlier.