Diplomacy

China, Japan open security dialogue after 4 years

- by India Writes Network

In what seems to be a promising development, China and Japan, the two leading Asian economies entangled in a festering territorial dispute, have held their first high level security talks in four years. The meeting in Tokyo signals the possibility of a thaw in strained relations between the two countries estranged by historical issues and perception of rivalry.
The meeting focused on improving the bitter relations and setting up a maritime communication hotline between the two countries. The meeting came ahead of a trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea on March 21, in Seoul for the first time in nearly three years.
Both China and South Korea have historical issues relating to Japan’s militarist past of wartime aggression. The way ahead lies in finding some mode of grand reconciliation and facing up to the past while looking ahead to the future of possibilities.
The possible thaw in relations between China and Japan also bodes well for India, which is looking to forge multi-pronged relations with the world’s second and third largest economies on separate tracks.

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Counter-terror meet: ISIS hasn’t influenced Indian Muslims

- by India Writes Network

India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the-three day counter terrorism conference in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The conference focuses on the integrated approach to counter terrorism and provides a platform to a wide array of professionals involved in counterterrorism analysis and practice from world over to explore the nature of terror threats in current times and strategies to overcome them.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Singh expressed happiness at the negligible impact of ISIS on the country’s youth. He said that Indian Muslims were ‘patriots’ and that ISIS has failed to influence them since the community is complete integrated in the national mainstream. Of the handful of Indian youth who had joined the ISIS, some had even returned after being persuaded by their families.

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India condemns Tunisia terror attack, calls for global action

- by India Writes Network

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee have condemned the terror attack in Tunisia and underlined that New Delhi stands firmly with the people of the country in this hour of attack.

“Attack in Tunisia is appalling & condemnable. We stand firmly with the people of Tunisia in this hour of grief and pray normalcy return soon,” Mr Modi said via twitter.

The attack on foreigners in Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, appeared to be the worst since the al-Qaeda suicide bombing killing 14 Germans, two French and five Tunisian on the Island of Djerba in 2002.

The brutal militant group, The Islamic State, is suspected to have links with the Tunisia attack, which has once again underlined the trans-national nature of terrorism, fuelled by radical Islamist groups and ideologies.

The U.N. Security Council has condemned the Bardo museum terror spree, saying that no terrorist action can reverse the path of Tunisia toward democracy.

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Netanyahu scores victory in Israel polls

- by India Writes Network

Benjamin Netanyahu has scored a “resounding victory” in Israel’s polls and looks set to form a right-wing coalition in Tel Aviv.
Mr Netanyahu’s Likud Party defeated Zionist Union, led by Issac Herzog.
Mr Netanyahu, the chairman of Likud Party, boasts of nine years of office in three terms, with limited political achievements. He is poised to form a new government and serve the fourth term in the Knesset, making him the longest running prime minister of the country.
Mr Netanyahu promised to form the new government quickly. “Our country’s everyday reality doesn’t give us the luxury for delay,” he said in a statement.
“The citizens of Israel rightfully expect that we will act quickly and responsibly to establish a leadership that will work for them in areas of defense, the economy and society just as we promised in this campaign — and just like we will now set ourselves towards doing,” he added.

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