Egypt bets big as New Suez Canal opens
After recent incidents of political violence and tensions in Egypt, the Arab world’s powerhouse finally has something to cheer about. In a spectacular opening, the New Suez Canal, also called …
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Europe opportunity: EU invites PM Modi for India-EU summit
Barely months after his successful visits to Germany and France, Prime Minister Narendra Modi look set to galvanize India’s multifarious relations with the 28-nation European Union later this year.
The EU has sent an invite to Mr Modi to attend the India-EU summit in Brussels, said Minister of State for External Affairs V.K Singh. The summit is expected to be held before or after the G20 summit in November.
“The Summit will provide an opportunity for taking stock of the ongoing cooperation between India and EU and explore ways of further energising bilateral collaboration in areas of mutual interest, including exchange of views on global issues of mutual interest and concern”, said Mr Singh.
The prime ministerial visit will focus on expanding economic and strategic relations with the EU, India’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade between India and the EU has surged to USD 101.5 billion (FY 2013-14). The total FDI equity inflows into India from EU was around USD 8,207 million during 2014-15.
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ISIL targets mosque in Saudi Arabia
A suicide attack on a mosque inside the Special Forces headquarters in Saudi Arabia has killed 15 people. The attack took place in the city of Abha, located in the …
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India through the Chinese Lens
Public opinion in India has, at present, no way of figuring out how the country is viewed by its important neighbour to the North, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). …
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Where do the two leading Democratic Party nominees stand on issues?
More than a dozen Republicans and a handful of Democrats have announced that they are running for their parties’ 2016 presidential nomination. On the Republican side, if the competition between …
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India-Pakistan talks: Captured Pakistan terrorist provides India fresh ammo
Ahead of talks between national security advisers of India and Pakistan, India has claimed it has captured a Pakistani militant who attacked a border security convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, …
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South China Sea divides ASEAN again, no consensus yet
The broiling tensions over competing territorial claims South China Sea has once again brought out deep differences among ASEAN countries at the meeting of the grouping’s foreign ministers in Kuala …
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India, Mozambique step up energy, security ties
Imparting a strategic dimension to New Delhi’s burgeoning ties with Maputo, the energy-rich Lusophone country, India and Mozambique agreed to step up cooperation in maritime security in the Indian Ocean …
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Amid cross-border firing, India unveils 3-year multiple entry visa to Pakistani businessmen
Amid hostile posturing and escalating cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian government has announced three-year multiple visas for Pakistani businessmen with good financial standing and credentials. The move …
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Is India punching below its weight? NSA Doval thinks so, what about you?
Is India punching below its weight? It’s the mother of all questions for contemporary practitioners of statecraft and diplomacy, and the country’s strategic thinking elite.
One can go on debating this proposition endlessly, and the country’s diplomatic-strategic establishment can delude itself into comforting clichés about the emergence of India as a major power in the shifting global geopolitical landscape. But National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is a staunch realist, and he has rearticulated what has been spoken often in the strategic circles – yes, India has been underperforming when it comes to leveraging its growing economy, its status as the world’s most populous democracy, and its indubitable soft power strengths.
“India has a mentality to punch below its weight. We should not punch below our weight or above our weight, but improve our weight and punch proportionately,” Mr Doval said in his address entitled ‘State Security, Statecraft, and Conflict of values’ at the 21st Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture in Mumbai.
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