India and the World

India-US joint strategic vision: Implications for the Indo-Pacific

- by India Writes Network

The Indo-Pacific’s blurred geographical outreach with the larger Asia-Pacific region has overshadowed the former’s contribution to emerging trade facilitations and connectivity lines from and through the region. The emergence of the Indo-Pacific as a region which is distinct from the Asia-Pacific in terms of geostrategic significance, as opposed to it being a sub-region of the Asia-Pacific, is yet to happen. The cooperation between the US and India in this region has the potential to effect this much needed transformation. The due recognition of the Indo-Pacific as a credible maritime domain with its unique ability to provide access to both the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific countries is likely to happen once India and the US will come together to cooperate through the waters of the Indo-Pacific, giving mutual access to each other in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific regions.

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It’s time for India’s diplomacy to raise its ambitions: Fashioning a new narrative

- by India Writes Network

Let’s focus on foreign policy underway today. How much of it is continuity; how much change? What do the changes signify? How much is substance; how much is optics? Some opinions have been offered already, not all of them without bias. I am sure that if we subject the diplomacy of the last year to a smell test, we can arrive at a reasonably clear conclusion.

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Ufa U-turn? India, Pakistan trade blame over ceasefire violations, ‘spy drone’

- by India Writes Network

Days after the leaders of India and Pakistan held an ice-breaking meeting in Russia resulting in “actionable propositions” to improve strained ties, the two countries are getting back to the depressingly familiar pattern of blame game. Senior ministers in India met on July 16 to discuss ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops and an out-of-the-blue controversy arising out of Islamabad’s claim of having shot down an allegedly Indian spy drone.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, with NSA Ajit Doval, discussed the latest developments that could undermine the much-hyped breakthrough meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in the Russia city of Ufa on July 10.

Meanwhile, India has lodged a strong protest against Pakistan after its Rangers targeted five border outposts in Akhnoor sector and civilians in R.S. Pura and Tawi belts, in Jammu. This was the seventh ceasefire violation in July month alone.

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Historic Iran deal: What it means for India and the world

- by India Writes Network

The first thing to understand about the 109- page long document, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action(JCPA), signed in Vienna on July 14, 2015 is that it marks the end of a long spell of hostility and suspicion between the US and Iran. Though it was Federica Mogherini, the foreign policy chief of European Commission, who stood next to Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif at the centre in the official photo, the real negotiation was between Zarif and US Secretary of State John Kerry who was standing almost at the edge.
It will be useful to understand how the US and Iran, close allies for decades till Mohammed Reza Shah was toppled by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, got estranged.
In short, despite referring to the US as Satan in public, Iranians love and admire the US. Their reconciliation is a good development for themselves and the rest of the world. Israel lacks the military capability to carry out strikes against Iran though empty threats might not stop.
For India, this is indeed a positive development. The UPA government had unwisely assessed that the US might not agree to the 123 nuclear agreement then under negotiation, and voted against Iran. Now is the time to rectify the mistake. The Modi government is going ahead with the stalled Chabahar Port project. A visit by Prime Minister Modi to Iran is indicated.

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Listening in to what China has to say: Asian Bank, MSR, strategy and blue skies

- by India Writes Network

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!

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Obama seals place in history with Iran deal: Welcome to ‘a more hopeful world’

- by Manish Chand

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.

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Sanity prevails in Eurozone, with Greece-EU bailout deal

- by India Writes Network

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.

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Iran, P5+1 clinch historic deal

- by India Writes Network

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.

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