Global Indian News
India and the United States met at the US Department of State in Washington DC on August 11 and 12 for the 2015 US-India cyber dialogue. They have committed to robust cooperation on cyber issues to increase global cyber security and promote digital economy.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Seychelles has triggered a quid pro quo reaction. Seychelles’ President James Michel is scheduled to visit India in the last week of August. PM Modi had visited Seychelles earlier in March 2015.
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The world was taken by surprise recently when it was announced that Mullah Omar, the undisputed and feared leader of Taliban, had died two years ago in a Karachi hospital. Taliban Spokesman Zabhiullah Mujahid confirmed the report, but disputed that Mullah Omar died in a Karachi hospital, saying that he never left Afghanistan after the US attack in 2001. Mystery over circumstances and location where Mullah Omar died will continue to persist, though everyone is in agreement that the Taliban supremo is no longer alive.
Even before the formal announcement of Omar’s death, sources in Taliban had begun telling journalists that Mullah Akhtar Mansoor had been chosen as the successor. He was reportedly elected as emir at a consultative meeting of the group after news of Omar’s death became public.
Mansoor was earlier Omar’s deputy and headed the Taliban’s seven member consultative council. Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of chief of Haqqani network, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and former deputy chief justice during Taliban era, Maulvi Haibatullah, were named as Mansoor’s deputies.
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Moving on expected lines, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a special package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore for the state of Bihar, which goes to polls later this year. While the schedule hasn’t been announced yet, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Nasim Zaid, said the elections would be held before November 29, when the tenure of the present assembly expires.
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India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates has been a game-changer of sorts, transforming New Delhi’s relationship with its key economic partner in the energy-rich Gulf region. In a major leap forward, the two countries elevated their relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership that entails closer counter-terror cooperation and deepening of security and economic ties across the spectrum. “The visit of an Indian Prime Minister to UAE after 34 years marks the beginning of a new and comprehensive strategic partnership between India and UAE in a world of multiple transitions and changing opportunities and challenges,” said the joint statement after wide-ranging talks between Mr Modi and the top leadership of the UAE. Here are key outcomes and highlights of the joint statement that maps out the future trajectory of the India-UAE relationship.
Elevate the India-UAE relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The rapidly expanding economic partnership makes India UAE’s second largest trading partner and UAE India’s third largest trading partner, thus making it a gateway for India to the region.
The two countries have the potential to build a transformative economic partnership, not only for sustained prosperity of their two countries, but to also advance progress in the region and help realise the vision of an Asian Century.
A common vision of progress and prosperity faces challenges from many shared threats to peace, stability and security in the region. A shared endeavour to address these challenges, based on common ideals and convergent interests, is vital for the future of the two countries and their region.
The two nations also rejected extremism and any link between religion and terrorism condemning efforts, including by states, to use religion to justify, support and sponsor terrorism against other countries. They also deplored efforts by countries to give religious and sectarian colour to political issues and disputes, including in West and South Asia, and use terrorism to pursue their aims.
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The terror attack near a Hindu shrine in the heart of Bangkok’s business district has sent shockwaves in the region. The blasts, which killed over 21 people and injured over 100, have received widespread coverage in India as Thailand remains a top low-cost tourist destination for thousands of Indians. Nearly a million Indian tourists visit Thailand every year.
The bomb is suspected to have been planted on a motorbike outside the Lord Brahma temple.
No one has claimed responsibility for the August 17 blasts, triggering speculation about the identity and motivations of attackers. “The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district,” said Thailand Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.
Most of the tourists injured outside the Erawan shrine in the crowded business district of Chidlom were from China and Taiwan, according to some of the rescue agencies quoted in the local media.
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Drumming up the India growth story in the Gulf dynamo, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted investors in the United Arab Emirates to cash in on an “immediate investment opportunity of USD 1 trillion in India.”
During his visit to Masdar city, a zero-carbon city, near Abu Dhabi, UAE, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an investor meet where he underlined huge opportunities spawned by India’s growing economy and called for dovetailing UAE’s power and India’s potential to make it an Asian century.
Citing reports by major global institutions such as World Bank, IMF, Moodys, Mr Modi said India is the world’s fastest growing economy and has a huge potential to develop. “On one hand India is growing fast and on the other hand, the world is looking at Asia. But is Asia complete without UAE? I can clearly see that the UAE should be at the centre of mainstream of things in Asia. UAE’s power and India’s potential can make it Asia’s century,” he told top business leaders from the UAE.
Alluding to lethargy and indecisiveness that was seen in policy-making during previous governments in New Delhi, the prime minister said his government has got some legacy problems and his immediate priority would be to kick-start the economic reforms process.
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Clean and Green – this new focus on smart living and sustainable urban space, found affirmation in India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to the world’s zero carbon smart city in the UAE. Mr Modi, who has unfurled the dream of 100 smart cities in India, looked visibly impressed as he took a ride in a self-driven car that runs on solar powered batteries in Masdar, a 5.95 sq km strip located 17 km southeast of Abu Dhabi international airport.
Mr Modi discussed urban development and next generation urban spaces with United Arab Emirates officials on August 17. He was also briefed on Masdar city’s Private Rapid Transport System. Impressed with the city, Mr Modi wrote ‘Science is Life’ in the visitor’s book at Masdar city.
Masdar city project aims to turn Abu Dhabi into an international hub for renewable energy and to support the development and commercialisation of sustainable technology. The smart city concept is a key agenda of Mr Modi’s development plans. Masdar was meant to be an incubator for a new generation of Emirati green start-ups with an aim to garner investments in green energy and technology. This, in the long run, would earn Abu Dhabi significant revenue if its oil runs out. But due to the global financial crisis in 2008, Dubai’s state-owned investment company ran up a debt of USD 59 billion that left Abu Dhabi with little to invest in Masdar city.
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Against the backdrop of the emergence of the Islamic State as the top security threat to the region, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for intensifying counter-terror cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, the first Gulf country he has visited after taking charge in May last year.
As Mr Modi arrived in the UAE on a two-day visit on August 16, the first visit by an Indian prime minister to the Gulf dynamo in 34 years, he was accorded a grand welcome and was received by none other than the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his five brothers.
Speaking about the agenda of his visit, Mr Modi said in an in an interview to Khaleej Times that he wanted to see the UAE as India’s top partner in trade and counter-terrorism, while noting that both countries had a range of common security and strategic concerns in the region including extremism. “We have a range of common security and strategic concerns in the region, including terrorism and extremism. So India and UAE have everything to be a top priority for each other. This is the way I look at the UAE. The Gulf region is vital for India’s economic, energy and security interests,” he said.
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India is set to host a summit with leaders from 14 members of the Pacific Islands Forum (FIPIC) in Jaipur on August 21, which is expected to be attended by 10 heads of state/government from the PIF members. The initiative has the potential to revitalise India’s relations with these countries, as expressed during the summit meeting held during the visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Fiji in November 2014. Though these countries are relatively small, and distant from India, there are several areas for fruitful cooperation.
There are certain issues that need attention. Implementation of projects offered by India should be improved by appropriate reforms in project management and financial approval processes. Indian diplomatic representation is weak and many of the PIF members are covered by non-resident Indian missions which are not able to make frequent visits. One approach could be to have in addition, Special Envoys from India for promoting bilateral relations with these countries. These could provide advocacy and give a push to cooperation.