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5 March 2020

Hype & substance in Trump’s visit

President Trump enjoyed every moment of the hype that attended his February 2020 visit to India, says Ambassador Neelam Deo, Director and Co-founder of Gateway House, in this podcast, even as the focus was on concrete outcomes, such as defence purchases and oil procurement deals. She discusses the geopolitical implications of a closer India-U.S. strategic relationship and the weaknesses of the U.S.-Taliban peace deal

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27 February 2020

BIMSTEC or SAARC?

South Asia’s speedy economic development depends on the level of integration between countries in the region. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have lost their momentum. But both platforms have their uses and can be revived creatively

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27 February 2020

The 2020 retreat from Kabul

The signing of an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban on February 29 may result in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which is contingent upon the Taliban’s adherence to certain conditions. The end of the West’s 19-year-long Afghan campaign – if Pakistan does not turn spoiler – is of vital interest to India

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20 February 2020

Trump’s visit: trade differences exaggerated

In the run-up to President Trump’s visit to India on 24-25 February 2020, Ambassador Neelam Deo, Director and Co-founder of Gateway House, discusses in this interview how he has made balanced trade a global issue, but given substance to the India-U.S. defence bilateral, sharpening the concept of the Indo-Pacific and the Quad’s profile

TH23-RAJIVBHATIA-XISMYANMARVISIT3 Courtesy: The Hindu/Handout
27 January 2020

Myanmar’s growing dependence on China

Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Myanmar on January 17 highlighted the economic aspect of the two countries’ bilateral relationship. China has been Myanmar’s top partner for years. But more than the 33 agreements signed, the visit threw light on the region’s changing geopolitics and Myanmar’s own compulsions in growing closer to China

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2 January 2020

India’s diplomatic agenda in 2020

India will host four prestigious international conferences, such as the India-Africa Forum Summit and the subsidiary SCO Summit in the course of the next three years. These are historic opportunities for the country to show global leadership and fulfil a diplomatic agenda that involves handling strategic competition and advancing partnerships

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28 November 2019

Strengthening democracy in Bangladesh

Bangladesh fulfills an important stabilising role in South Asia. It has been able to perform this function in the last decade because of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s efforts to fortify the domestic scenario by first cracking down on terror outfits – and their political fronts. The clean-up was necessary, but a robust Opposition and democratic institutions need to be nourished too