Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
After Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s recent visit to India, cooperation in the energy sector could become the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. A lot depends on India’s response to the opportunities offered by Iraq, and on how India triangulates its foreign policy with Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia
Courtesy: MEAphotogallery/ Flickr
In 2012, Iraq emerged as India’s second largest crude oil supplier thereby shifting focus back on bilateral relations. However, India’s historical and cultural connection with Iraq, as well as common geopolitical concerns, reveal that relations have the potential to go beyond oil
Courtesy: WikimediaCommons
The 11th Presidential election of Iran will be held on June 14, 2013. Why will this election be a test for the Islamic Republic’s stability? What are the factors at play that make this election critical; and more importantly, why must India monitor it closely?
Courtesy: The White House
During his visit to Israel, U.S. President Barack Obama spoke in favour of both the Israelis’ right to security and the Palestinians’ right to sovereignty. The issue of settlements, however, remains unresolved and it is unlikely that Israel will make concessions when its neighbours are in turmoil.
Courtesy: Gateway House
This paper analyses West Asian politics in the wake of the Arab uprisings, and examines the nature and implications of India's policies towards the countries
Courtesy:
The Arab uprisings show no sign of closure, and have become amorphous. While New Delhi has so far been immunised from the political and religious dimensions of the uprisings, the rise of political Islam, Islamic governance, and continuing instability will impact India.
Courtesy: BotMultiChillT/WikimediaCommons
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Ali Larijani, will soon visit India. Given that he enjoys Iran's Supreme Leader's confidence, and is Mahmoud Ahmedinejad’s rival, he’s likely to be visiting India not just as a Speaker, but also as a key strategist of the Islamic Republic, and a messenger of Khamenei.
Courtesy: Dragonfire and Georgethewriter/WikimediaCommons
Rivals Iran and Egypt have become the two most important powers in today’s West Asia. Yet, Iran is looking for neither a smooth victory nor a quick failure for Egypt’s rise. Tehran will remain the key regional player, while it’s too early to tell if Cairo is capable of overcoming Iran’s influence.
The series of Israeli offensives against Gaza, which began on November 4, ended when Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli government on November 13. The possibility of this ceasefire holding up, however, seems remote.
Courtesy: Secretary of Defense/Flickr
Ambassador Christopher Stevens, the U.S. envoy to Libya, was killed, following protests against a controvertial movie, titled 'Innocence of Muslims.' Is an anti-U.S. sentiment to be blamed for this violence? What consequences will this incident have on the U.S. policies towards Libya and Syria?