Courtesy: Paul Kagame/ Flickr
The African Union stands at a crossroads in its history. It needs to change direction to be relevant and show its members the path to prosperity. With Rwandan president Paul Kagame now at the helm, it may have a chance
Courtesy: Western Naval Command
China has expanded its presence in the Indian Ocean Region. President Xi Jinping has abandoned Deng Xiaoping’s conciliatory posture for an aggressive, money-fuelled search for super power status
Courtesy: MEA/ Flickr
The ninth BRICS summit represented the victory of pragmatism over narrow nationalistic impulses. All BRICS members are likely to craft the grouping’s future script as it enters its second decade, but more crucially, the Big Three will have to show a large dose of statesmanship
Courtesy: Narendra Modi/ Flickr
BRICS, which has always been committed to enhancing solidarity, is now entering its second decade – even as tensions between its two most consequential members remain unresolved and member states and other emerging markets are set to serve as “the main engine” of global growth
The past decade has witnessed an evolution of India-Africa relations especially since the implementation of Modi's Act East policy. There is also a growing realisation of the strategic and geopolitical value of the Indian Ocean region. This speech highlights the policies needed to strengthen India-Kenya relations and tap the wealth of resources in this Blue Economy.
Courtesy: Flickr/U.S. Army Africa
New Delhi now has the capacity to move beyond the basics of economic diplomacy by using the strengths of India's private sector in healthcare. Africa would welcome such an initiative, which will improve the health and development capabilities of African countries. This will also serve India’s geopolitical objectives and can precede a similar healthcare rollout to other regions
Courtesy: MEA India / Flickr
Perhaps South Block did not gain as much as it had hoped to: there was a gulf in member states’ perceptions. One takeaway, therefore, for policy makers was that while noise has its uses, it is now time for some quiet diplomacy
Courtesy: Gateway House
The 8th BRICS summit in Goa comes in the midst of major geopolitical events; Brexit, the U.S. elections, the South China Sea dispute, and the terror attacks in Uri. There is much need for BRICS to demonstrate to the world, its capability to manage internal differences and showcase a collective sense of cooperation
The Russian city of Ufa, capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, played host to three major summits from July 8-10—BRICS, SCO and Russia's Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Here are some of the characteristics and developments from the summit in numbers
Courtesy: Arun Sinha/Flickr
If, after nine years, BRICS remains a disparate grouping, and its trade and investment flows remain dismal, it is time to explore new avenues of cooperation to consolidate the alliance—and culture and education can provide the necessary cementing factor when combined with the New Development Bank