debnath shaw Courtesy: Gateway House
5 July 2012

“Russia still dominates Central Asia”

Though some countries like Russia gained a strong foothold in Central Asia and the Caucasus post-1991, India has been a late-comer. Gateway House interviews former Ambassador to Azerbaijan Debnath Shaw to discuss India’s energy interests in the region, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the TAPI pipeline.

iran talks Courtesy: IAEA Imagebank/Flickr
8 June 2012

All to play for in Moscow

Ahead of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 in Moscow, the West seems confident that sanctions will induce Iran to settle on its uranium enrichment. But rather than arriving at a negotiated settlement by applying the principle of reciprocity, the West may look to anaesthetize oil markets.

Can BRICS swaps save the rupee copy Courtesy: Flickr/t3rmin4t0r
1 June 2012

The case for BRICS swaps

Banks around the globe would be wise to take a second look at what now could be the most significant agreement in international finance since the Euro: the BRICS currency swap. Though certain geopolitical risks are involved, could this free India from unpredictable currency fluctuations?

anoop singh interview Courtesy: Gateway House
11 May 2012

IMF interview: How the European crisis will affect India

As India’s growth slows, it becomes increasingly important to enact reforms so it can return to its intended growth rate of 9%. Gateway House’s Hari Seshasayee interviews Anoop Singh, Director of Asia and Pacific at the IMF, to discuss the impact of the Euro zone crisis on India and the way forward for Asia.

5825395379_5d725a53f4_z Courtesy: Flickr/freeedomania
21 April 2012

UN: a return to ‘mandated colonialism’

By forcing regime change in Libya, and attempting the same in Syria, and by promiscuously arming disparate groups of Wahabbis and Salafists to achieve this aim, NATO is creating more room for instability in the region. What Syria needs is engagement, not isolation; it needs dialogue and not the arming of rebels.

IMG_4820 Courtesy: Gateway House
20 April 2012

Deciphering today’s Middle East

What are the implications for India if Iran is attacked? How effective has the response been by gulf nations to their own protests? Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, India’s former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, discusses the dynamics of West Asia with Gateway House’s Alisha Pinto and Azadeh Pourzand.

Courtesy: IAEA Imagebank
9 April 2012

Iran: An opportunity for BRICS

The scope for any process on nuclear talks with Iran to founder on distrust, misunderstanding and political in-fighting in both Tehran and Washington remains formidable. Equally disturbing are the wider political realities. Can the upcoming talks in Istanbul launch a process that can, over time, lead to agreement?

wisner interview Courtesy: Gateway House
2 April 2012

India-U.S.-Iran Impasse?

Given the immediacy of rising tensions around Iran’s nuclear programme, what can India and the U.S. do to resolve the issue? Gateway House’s Manjeet Kripalani talks to Ambassador Frank Wisner about the possibilities of a strike against Iran and its effects on the India-U.S. relationship.

martin wolf cfr Courtesy: World Economic Forum/Flickr
30 March 2012

Does the BRICS Group Matter?

The emerging BRICS economies agree that the West should hold less sway in the global economy. But their leaders, despite regular summits, have failed to articulate a coherent vision because of divergent interests, says journalist Martin Wolf.

Brics_Summit_-_2012 copy Courtesy: Saurabh Das/AP Photo
30 March 2012

BRICS: Moving in the right direction?

The 4th BRICS Summit in New Delhi has brought a new dimension to emerging markets. The author explains why the summit was perhaps the most significant of the BRICS meetings so far – and one that should have the developed world really worried about their eroding position at the top of the global heap.