The Halifax International Security Forum offered western policy makers and strategic analysts a chance to reflect on the state of the trans-Atlantic security alliance, especially with the United States under the Trump administration, its relations with Russia, and China’s peaking global ambitions

A conference in Doha on ‘Enriching the Middle East’s Economic Future’ offered many insights into the nature of geopolitical relations in the region and India’s significant role in it

The removal of 11 top ministers in the Riyadh government last week by the young crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, is a geopolitical upheaval, the implications are serious. Domestically, the kingdom is seeking to liberalise its conservative society and move away from oil-dependency – evident from the expected listing of its crown jewel Aramco. For India, which imports oil largely from West Asia, instability could cause a spike in prices, leaving less for its ambitious reforms. Globally, there is now space for new alignments – in the Great Power plays, in the Shia-Sunni rivalry, and in the war on terrorism.

In a policy brief for the Russian International Affairs Council, Vasily Shikin and Amit Bhandari examine the existing energy partnership between India-Russia, evaluate the potential of new collaboration formats, and develop specific recommendations for enhancing cooperation.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Africa on his first foreign visit as president on October 3. His first port of call will be Djibouti, which occupies a strategic location in the Horn of Africa. The country has assumed significance for hosting multiple foreign military bases on its territory, the latest entrant being China. This infographic illustrates Djibouti’s ‘military base’ diplomacy.

The German civil security industry is in the throes of change: it was once an avenue of employment for the less educated or the jobless. Today, companies are increasingly selling comprehensive security solutions. India will gain by being prepared for such trends and technological innovations

The Kurdish issue is far more complex and sophisticated than the simplistic nationalist rhetoric, made fashionable by Europeans-- and which all actors in the game feel compelled to employ and have us believe

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

A number of democratic processes are set to unfold in this week. A referendum in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the AfD's surprising outcome in the German Parliamentary election and the upcoming referendum in Catalonia, Spain. Ambassador Neelam Deo, Director at Gateway House, discusses the geopolitical implications of these highly-controversial domestic democratic processes.

Germany and India have revealed a dual priority for Africa: creating opportunities for prosperity and promoting stability. For both, these are uncharted waters and represents a shift in the locus of global dynamism, away from an Anglo-Saxon world order to a more diverse yet potentially fissiparous one