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India's North Eastern States are part of one of the largest fluvial regions, they share this region with five other nations. At a recent conference, held on the sidelines of the the Nadi Festival in Shillong, the message of 'Listen to the dignity of the river' struck a chord with all present, and is a message which should be carried across the region.
Courtesy: Sputnik News
The recent terror attacks in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, turned the spotlight on the country’s increasingly violent and volatile political situation. The interplay of deep political divisions, the rise of radicalised student politics, religious extremism, which the government has failed to rein in, and the spread of trans-national terror networks has created a toxic cocktail in Bangladesh with dangerous implications for India.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister Harsha de Silva delivered the opening address at the first Gateway of India Dialogue in Mumbai in June 2016. In his speech he underlined the need for building a bilateral of “irreversible excellence” between India and Sri Lanka based on shared geography, history and culture.
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Prime Minister Modi’s term has been marked by a resolve to improve cooperation among South Asian nations. These proactive efforts can bear rich fruit if the Modi government promotes the concept of geoeconomic and geopolitical equations being seen through the lens of bioregions. There are significant precedents which the Modi government can build upon
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Present-day Bangladesh is a severely fractured society. Deepening political polarisation and recent developments questioning the country’s secular credentials have only added to its woes. Should India be concerned?
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Nepal and India are trying to even out recent crimps in their decades-old relationship by focusing on areas of cooperation – such as, energy, trade, investment and infrastructure – with the bilateral cooperation agenda also including a public diplomacy programme
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The success of the U.S. Defense Secretary's recent visit to India is indicative of the deepening India-U.S. defence relationship. It has become clear that Indo-U.S. maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean is steaming ahead; while other geopolitical differences, like the sale of aircraft to Pakistan, seem unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
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After decades of passivity, India is beginning to assert itself in the maritime arena. There is a whiff of salt in the usually 'sea-blind' corridors of Delhi, where the Modi government clearly sees the linkage between the possession of maritime wherewithal, both civilian and military, and the furthering of national prosperity, through ever-increasing trade.
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The talking points for Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia will include the obvious: oil, diaspora and economic engagement. What remains to be seen is how both countries differing relations with Iran and Pakistan might affect the dialogue.
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A more robust foreign policy initiative is required for India to be seen as a serious player in the future of Afghanistan. Building dams and roads has ensured its presence as a partner in rebuilding the country, but its conservative handling of Afghan issues must be challenged, perhaps by following the Iran route, to push forward its geostrategic interests.