Global Indian News
In a move that could exacerbate Moscow’s standoff with the West, Russia has been accused by Georgia of violating international law after it had erected new border markings in the …
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India and China are walking together in a spirit of ‘competitive cooperation’ that can bring about prosperity not only to Asia, but can give a sense of hope to most of the developing and under-developed world.
Recently, when a delegation of Indian journalists was landing in Beijing, Premier Li Keqiang had left for Brussels to push the idea of setting up of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in which India will be the second largest shareholder after China.
It is evident that China is opening up, as our delegation was given a rare opportunity to visit the Academy of Armored Force Engineering Institute of PLA to interact with Deputy Commandant Sr. Col. Mr. Liu Degang and get a closer look at the Chinese main battle tanks and other army vehicles.
A visit to China’s show case city ‘Pudong ‘, a walk on the famous Nanjing Gu avenue in Shanghai, glimpses of ever glittering skyscrapers on the banks of river Hangpu and a travel by bullet train running at the speed of 304 km per hour from Shanghai to Beijing, were proof enough of China’s robust achievements that India has much to learn from. The bullet train covered a distance of 1207 km in exactly 5 hours and 5 minutes. According to the latest reports in Fortune magazine, ”China has built 6900 miles of tracks for bullet trains. The ridership has gone up from 237,000 (2007) to 2.5 million last year. China is investing more than $128 billion dollars in domestic railway construction in 2015. Food for thought indeed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu!
History has been made, ensuring a cherished place for US President Barack Obama for taking the biggest diplomatic gamble of his presidency by defying sceptics and going ahead with the Iran nuclear deal. The deal signals an end to Tehran’s international isolation, with Mr Obama underscoring that it wasn’t just trust that drove him into a path-breaking rapprochement with Tehran, but the operative mantra of verification that underpins this historic moment that could remap the geopolitical landscape of the volatile Middle East.
In his address on the Iran-P5+1 Deal, President Obama said the deal has paved a New Way Forward and hailed in a messianic tone that the step represented the journey towards a “more hopeful world.” In a similar vein, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani struck an optimistic note, saying that the deal proved that “constructive engagement works”.
“This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction,” Obama said, adding: “We should seize it.”
The deal envisages the lifting of sanctions imposed on Tehran by the United States, European Union and United Nations in return for Iran delivering on long-term curbs on a nuclear programme that has been suspected by the West of creating a nuclear arsenal in a volatile region.
While Iran would take steps to implement the agreement and the sanctions would be lifted by the UN, but Obama warned Iran that any violation of the deal and the sanctions would be snapped back again. The deal is seen as Obama’s biggest Foreign Policy legacy till date and if it passes through the Congress, history would judge Obama for changing the course in Middle East and a victory for diplomacy over war.
With the talks coming to a successful conclusion between the P5+1 countries and Iran in Viennna, the global nuclear watchdog IAEA said that it has signed a roadmap with Tehran …
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The last few days have been very difficult for Greece with uncertainty looming over its future. But that changed on July 13 with some respite for Greece, as the leaders of Eurozone and Greece came to an agreement on the three-year 86 billion euros ($129 billion) bailout required to salvage the tottering Greek economy. Most of the terms and conditions require the Greece government’s near total surrender to the creditors. However, it also provides Greece a chance to hold on to the euro as its currency and stay in the Eurozone, preventing a “Grexit.”
Speaking to India Writes Network, K.P Fabian, a former Indian ambassador who has served in many capitals in Europe, said: “Sanity has prevailed.” He added that if Greece were shown the door, the consequences would have been devastating for the euro.
While the bailout has given temporary relief, there is a long way to go away before Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, can recover from the festering crisis and take charge of its destiny.
Alluding to exponential progress India and the US have made in bolstering their bilateral relationship in the last one decade since the signing of the civil nuclear deal, US Vice …
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A defining moment in contemporary geopolitics was made on July 14, with the P5+1 countries and Iran reaching the much-awaited deal to constrain Iran’s nuclear programme, in return for lifting sanctions on Tehran. Hailing the deal, Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the deal as a ‘win-win’ solution but not perfect. “I believe this is a historic moment. We are reaching an agreement that is not perfect for anybody but is what we could accomplish. Today could have been the end of hope, but now we are starting a new chapter of hope,” he underlined.
The deal is expected to finally end Iran’s isolation in the world and could mark the return of a normal Tehran in the global arena. This would not only improve Iran’s relations with the West, but would also set the stage for acceleration of Iran’s relations with BRICS countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and China.
The watershed moment would also ensure a place in history for both President Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for making this historic deal. The deal is expected to remap contours of the Middle East geopolitics and remove an ever-present danger to world security.
It can be very tempting to not be overly optimistic following the recent meeting between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia. There is a sense of familiarity to …
Read MoreIn an increasingly fragile and volatile neighbourhood, India is all set to upgrade its arsenal with a host of new high-tech acquisitions. This also comes at a time when the United States is all set to overtake Russia, Israel and France as India’s largest arms supplier with deals worth $10 billion inked since 2007. With Pakistan and China inking some major deals in the recent past, this acceleration in defence relationship with the US is set to boost the modernization of India’s armed forces. It would also help India strengthen its position with volatility increasing in the neighbourhood.
China Factor
One of the major acquisitions is going to be the deal of $1 billion for four P 8I planes that would be used for maritime patrol. This comes in the backdrop of China strengthening its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as a part of its Maritime Silk Road strategy. With recent reports of Chinese submarines docking in Karachi lurking past Indian waters, it has raised alarm bells in the security establishment at New Delhi.
Pentagon and South Block are also set to begin negotiations in the next few days over the proposed $770 million deal for M-777 ultra-light howitzers under which the bulk of 145 artillery guns to be acquired in a government to government deal, will be made in India. This is also in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, which is expected to spur indigenization of the country’s defence sector.
Against the backdrop of China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and in the Asia-Pacific region, India has agreed to include Japan in the Indo-US Malabar naval exercise to …
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