India and Central asian republics

source- IDSA

India Thailand ties- overview

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130615/edit.htm#4

EOV on syria issue

• From the beginning of the crisis, we have called for cessation of violence in all its forms and by all sides
• We voted in favour of the resolution in the UN General Assembly that authorized the appointment of an Envoy to engage with the Syrian parties and foreign actors for the resolution of the crisis.
• We also supported resolutions 2042 and 2043 in expectation that the establishment of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) will be able to oversee the implementation of Mr Annan’s six-point plan
• Instead of a political process, parties have continued to pursue a military approach that continues to cause death and destruction in the country
• There is an urgent need for the Syrian parties to recommit themselves to the complete cessation of violence and comprehensive implementation of the six-point plan.
• Syria has both historically and in contemporary times been an important country in the Middle East. Its role in the Middle East peace process and in the stability of the wider region cannot be overemphasized. Prolonged instability and unrest in Syria, therefore, have ramifications for the entire region and beyond.
• it would have been preferable for the Council members to show flexibility so that a united message could be conveyed to all sides to the Syrian crisis instead of pursuance of domestic interests
• It is, therefore, regrettable that the Council has not been able to adopt the resolution today and send a joint message

Rohingya muslims

• Several people have been killed and homes of several hundreds torched in ethnic clashes between Buddhists and the stateless Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine State

Who are the Rohingyas?

• They are Sunni Muslims and ethnic minorities in rakhine state
• majority population follows Theravada Buddhism

Where did they come from?

• Burmese military points to history, maintaining that the Rohingyas crossed over from present-day Bangladesh

How have the Rohingyas been treated?

• Under Pinlon Agreement of 1947  Rakhine was included in myanmar but the Rohingyas were kept out of nation-building
• After a military crackdown in 1978, Rohingyas fled in thousands to Bangladesh
• Under world pressure, the military agreed to their repatriation.
• Another crackdown in 1991 again sent Rohingyas across the border
• Some 30,000 still live in two refugee camps in Bangladesh

How did the Rohingyas become stateless?

• Burma Citizenship Law of 1982 sought to deny citizenship to people of Indian and Chinese descent and also targeted the Rohingyas
• full citizenship was granted to people of 135 national races who lived in Burma before 1823 — i.e. before British colonisation. Rohingyas were not in this list

Spill over effect of rohingya issue on India

• Many of these refugees are without jobs and could fall prey to radical ideologies.
•  They may join the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islam (HuJI) which has been accused of carrying out bomb blasts in Assam. Another aspect could be the fear of a major spill over of the conflict into India’s north-east in terms of refugee flow from across the porous Bangladesh-India border 

India pakistan trade talks: progress report

·         India pakistan talks on trade front has made significant progress

o   Pakistan has agreed to shift over form positive to negative list

o   Pakistan is willing to give India MFN status

o   They have set a trade target of 6 bn $ by 2014(currently 2.7 bn $ trade in 2010-11)

o   Talks underway to liberalise visa norms for businessmen

o   Addressing inssue of non trabe barriers

Beyond trade

·         Talks on other issues seem to heading nowhere

·         Uncertainty within the pakistan politics has lead to slowdown in talks

·         Home secretary and foreign  min talks have been delayed

·         Uncertainty in afghanistan has kept the tensions on border running high

·         Within India , central government is busy fighting allegations of corruption

In afghanistan

·         Both India and pakistan are competing to gain influence in afghanistan

·         Pakistan fears the indian government offer of training the afghan army

o   Pakistan fears afghan army will develop an indian mindset

·         India fears that pakistan will provide space for taliban , haqqanis to be part of afghan political setup

Jammu and kashmir

·         India pakistan are yet to decide on even starting point of talks

·         India wants to have talks on basis of 4 point formula agreed to through back channel talks during mushraff era

o   The formula called for self governance, demilitarisation, making borders irrelevant and jt management of kashmir

·         Equally India has failed to act on recommendations of JK interlocutors to meet the expectations of people in valley

FM speech at 9th PBD

• Today India has begun playing a global role
• year 2011 marks two decades on the path of economic liberalisation
• India is viewed as belonging to the group of the fastest growing nations of the world
• colonial era we had witnessed the migration of large numbers of our fellow Indians
•  in the post-colonial era the trend turned to a movement towards the industrialised nations
• movement of the diaspora is no longer unidirectional as it was in the past. What started as a brain drain, has now become a brain gain, not just for India but the world as a whole
1. it has brought in many global best practices into the Indian economy
2. contributed significantly to India’s ‘soft power’ and global image
3. contributed to its attractiveness as an investment destination.
• much still remains to be done
• that of investment and entrepreneurship.
• , in China a large chunk of foreign direct investment has come from overseas Chinese.
• 9th of January, marks the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India
• there is need to engage in social enterprises in a proactive manne
• improve the access of the poor and the vulnerable to vital public services
• This requires not just financial contributions, but rather dedication of time, ideas and endeavour.
• Our overseas Indian family with its multifaceted talents, excellent capacity for adapting to and ability to operate within different cultures and environments should make a concerted effort to connect with India’s growth and its prosperity in the times to come.

India japan joint statement highlights

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  • Japan’s initiative to strengthen international cooperation in the area of disaster risk reduction, including the holding of an international conference in the Tohoku region in 2012 appreciated by india
  • japan to invite approximately six hundred Indian youth under the new “Kizuna (bond) Project” aimed at promoting global understanding of Japan’s revival in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake.
  • Commencement of negotiations on an agreement between India and Japan on Social Security, which will contribute to the promotion of economic activities by private sectors of both countries.
  • Government of Japan would extend loans totaling 134.288 billion yen to two new projects, namely, “Delhi Mass Rapid Transport System Project Phase III” and “West Bengal Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Project”
  • emphasised the importance of an early realisation of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) which runs through the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) with Japan’s support.
  • stressed the importance of infrastructure development in the areas between Chennai and Bengaluru, where an increasing number of Japanese companies including SMEs have made direct investments to establish their manufacturing base
  • Japan’s technologies and expertise be utilised in the development of India’s high-speed railway system
  • important to upgradation of speed of passenger trains to 160-200 kmph on existing Delhi-Mumbai route of the western leg of the Golden Rail Corridor for India’s economic development
  • decided to enhance the earlier bilateral currency swap arrangement from 3 to 15 billion US dollars.
  • Indian and Japanese enterprises would jointly undertake industrial activities to produce and export rare earths at the earliest.
  • facilitation of trade in high technology between the two countries
  • \expansion of India-Japan collaboration for the development of the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H)
  • Since 2007, approximately 2,300 Indian youth have visited Japan through “Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youth” (JENESYS) programme
  • reaffirmed their support for the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a forum for dialogue on broad strategic, political and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia
  • xpressed support for the EAS as a Leaders-led forum with ASEAN as the driving forc
  • reiterated their commitment to the promotion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA) as a step towards attaining economic integration in East Asia
  • xpressed their support for ASEAN Connectivity and considered the possibility of having a “Connectivity Master Plan Plus” which would develop further linkages between ASEAN and its partners
  • Joint exercise between the Indian Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard to be held in January 2012
  • appreciated the progress made with regard to the establishment of the Nalanda University and reiterated their support to its revival as an icon of Asian renaissance and as an international institute of excellence.
  • pledged to explore opportunities for consultation on their respective assistance projects, including those projects implemented in the neighbouring countries, that advance Afghanistan’s mid- and long-term development and build its civilian capacity
  • Resolved to develop greater cooperation in combating terrorism through sharing information and utilising the India-Japan Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, as well as cooperation in multilateral forums such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF)
  • reiterated India's commitment to a unilateral and voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing.
  • reaffirmed their commitment to working together for immediate commencement and an early conclusion of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmamen
  • Seoul Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012.
  •  East Asia Low Carbon Growth Partnership Initiative proposed by Prime Minister Noda at the East Asia Summit.
  • Reiterated their commitment to ensure effective implementation of the G-20 Cannes Summit decisions including the Cannes Action Plan, which aims to achieve the Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth.
  • shared an expectation that the decisions of the European Council of 9 December 2011 towards stabilisation of the financial markets and strengthening of economic policy coordination and governance would be implemented effectively and in a timely manner through coordinated efforts by the European leaders.
  • reaffirmed their commitment made at G-20 Cannes Summit on anti-protectionism.

Rôle of militairy in international relations-key points f

Even minor actions by military hv foreign policy consequences. Military is therefore both imp adjunct & component of diplomacy

To fight & conquer in battles is not supreme excellence; it consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting

When military is in power 4 extended period, it behaves as politicians do, with its primary purpose changing to staying in power

With tribal raiders sent by Pak to Kashmir in Oct 1947 Gandhiji said it was right 4 govt 2 save city by rushing troops 2 Srinagar

 International law remains underdeveloped, intll governance is non-existent or weak & inttl society is fundamentally anarchic

V r in a world whr geopoliticl centr of gravty is shiftn 2 Asia. In Asia itself, sevral stratgic rivalres contribute 2 uncertanty

There is an Indian way, an Indian view and an Indian practice in the use and role of force

India has never retained territory taken by force in wars she has fought. Evn som Indian territory taken back frm Pak was retrned

India has never sent troops abroad except 4 UNPKO or at express request of the legitimate government of the country concerned.

India's defence budget has only exceeded 3% of GDP in one year of the last sixty-three

In Indian tradition use of force is legitimate in certain circumstances, to obtain justice, when all other means are exhausted

New challenges and opportunities

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2337201.ece

• Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation India and the Soviet Union signed on August 9, 1971 sprang from a convergence of national interests and shared perceptions of security risks
• Forty years on security perceptions have changed, creating new challenges and opportunities for India and Russia,
• 1971 treaty helped India win its third war against Pakistan, safeguard its independence and territorial integrity and neutralise external threats
• treaty provided for immediate mutual consultations in case either country came under attack.
• During bangladesh war 1971 Soviet Union responded to US threat by dispatching almost its entire Pacific Fleet to the Indian Ocean, poured arms and ammunitions into India and blocked anti-India moves in the United Nations Security Council.
• Soviet Union offered India cheap credits and technological assistance in setting up steel, machine-building, power generation, mining and pharmaceutical industries that ensured its economic independence

• How has the situation changed today?
• period of drift under President Boris Yeltsin
• elevated to a “privileged strategic partnership” by President Dmitry Medvedev
• Debate in India on how relevant the strategic ties with Russia are today
• Russia-China relations have turned around from hostility to friendship
• Russia is no longer in confrontation with the U.S. and India is pursuing strategic ties with the U.S.
• Indo-Russian partnership may help the two countries deal with a rising China
• Russian-Chinese treaty of peace and friendship signed in 2001.
• dialogue among Russia, India and China (RIC) can be useful in facilitating more harmonious relations between the two Asian giants.
• India-China relations will keep improving as India accelerates its economic rise

IMEPDIMENTS TO STRATEGIC ALLIANCE BETWEEN INDIA US

• number of impediments that make a strategic alliance between India and the U.S. unlikely,
• India's traditional non-alignment
• U.S.-Pakistan strategic tie-up 

• standoff with Iran.

• U.S. attempts to use india as a counterbalance to China.

• RUSSIA FLAWS
• Russia's policy in Asia is too much China-centric
• Russia should reach out more energetically to other Asian countries — Japan, rising Indonesia and Vietnam and, of course, India.
• two countries cannot rely on state-to-state relations only as in Soviet times
• necessary to promote business-to-business ties, people-to-people contacts and interaction between civil society groups.
• bilateral trade hardly reaching $10 billion,
• Russia's fixation on the West in its quest for resources for economic modernisation

Historic opportunity to be part of new future

• onus of taking India-Bangladesh relations to a higher plane lies on India
• It was in this spirit India announced a line of credit of $1 billion for upgrading Bangladesh’s infrastructure last year
• It has also decided to establish “border haats”
• setting up of the “border haats” marks a big stride forward towards connecting the population of the two countries
• two governments must take measures to help develop economic activities in the border areas by giving legitimacy to the “border trade”

IMPORTANCE OF INFORMAL TRADE

• informal trade reflects to a large measure the historical links existing between the populations on both sides of the border, and the advantages of such links, which were interrupted when political boundaries were redrawn, need to be harnessed.
• Recognition of informal trade will result in greater people-to-people contact.
• It could bring with it greater sense of ownership among the people in the border areas

TRADE IMBALANCE

• not only have India’s imports from Bangladesh remained at a relatively low level, these low volumes of imports have also contributed to the large and growing trade imbalance
• India’s merchandise trade surplus with its neighbour has increased from about $2.7 billion in 2007-08 to over $3.1 billion in 2010-11

India iran summits

• Importance of iran to india
• core energy partner
• geostrategic importance vis à vis afghan
• access to chabar port
• transcontinental transit
• Importance of India to iran
• India on UNSC can help its cause
• Huge market in India for iran petroleum products
• Strain in relation
• india shifitng to saudi oil
• saudi foe of iran
• solution
• establish parallel relations with saudi and iran