India in Central Asia: Time for a New Strategy
This paper introduces the dilemma of both India and Russia, whose state-owned energy companies are forced to operate in a region where Chinese government corporations have been dominant.
This paper introduces the dilemma of both India and Russia, whose state-owned energy companies are forced to operate in a region where Chinese government corporations have been dominant.
Growing instability in the region make the planned Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline seem more like a burden than a solution to India’s hunt for alternative energy sources. Is it wise for India to move ahead with the $7.6 billion project?
After the crass misuse of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) in Libya, the broader question is: where is R2P headed? Do the events in Libya herald a more explicit assertion of this doctrine in other parts of the world? And should India rethink its viewpoint towards this ambiguous doctrine?
India’s relations with Russia have to be set against the broader strategic landscape of India’s security issues and geopolitical priorities, especially in Central Asia and Afghanistan, where Russia is a key player. An increase in private sector initiatives can also ensure greater cooperation in the years to come.
A new United Nations doctrine is revolutionising the manner in which Western powers achieve regime change. Under the pretext of “Responsibility to Protect” –as the doctrine is named –armed intervention does not depend on the aspirations of a populace but the facilitation of existing power equations