Courtesy: Reuters
A new government will be sworn into office in Myanmar in April to run a ‘hybrid democracy’ in which military and civilian representatives will share power. It is Myanmar’s second experiment with this system. The West is rethinking its positioning on Myanmar and now seeking ‘calibrated engagement.’ India, too, should reassess its two-track diplomacy and develop a nuanced policy and an early outreach to the new leaders.
Courtesy: X/ @bdbnp78
Bangladesh’s new government has been in power for two months now, and the challenges are immense. Yet Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is trying to balance a plethora of issues: energy shortages, an under-performing economy, a major constitutional reform, addressing corruption and introducing transparency and accountability – all the while putting “Bangladesh First.”
Courtesy: PTI
The visit of Bangladesh's foreign minister Khalilur Rahman to Delhi was an intermediate stage in the journey towards a full India-Bangladesh reset. The two countries have much to gain through deeper cooperation and more to lose if they drift. It’s time to focus on a common future by initiating bold trade and economic policies and linkages to counter vested interests that work to keep them apart.
Courtesy: Gateway House
Following the U.S.–Iran ceasefire and partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, energy flows may resume, but uncertainty persists. Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy, and Amit Bhandari, Senior Fellow on Energy, Investments and Connectivity, Gateway House, note that Iran will retain leverage and will continue influencing prices and supply chains. Natural gas shortages will further disrupt fertiliser production and fuel inflation world-wide.
Courtesy: AFR
The Persian Gulf conflict has already impacted India’s oil imports and financial security. However, India has not created meaningful options to protect itself from oil shocks over the last decade – and such shocks will continue. Now is the time for India to make equity investments in oil and gas companies in stable economies like the U.S., Canada and Australia, to protect itself from future energy crises.
Courtesy: Iran Front Page
The transformation of higher education and research in Iran over the last twenty years is a cautionary tale in cultural sociology and political economy. Iran has transitioned from a global colleague with high rates of international collaboration to an isolated, ideologically purged state that has pivoted its innovation engine toward survival. The outward migration of talented Iranians is a terminal threat to the nation’s long-term prosperity.
Courtesy: AFP
It is important to take an objective review of PM Modi’s visit to Jerusalem and its implications for India’s security. New Delhi will have to demonstrate its strategic autonomy by managing heterogeneous and often contrapuntal relationships and strike a balance in its ties with the U.S. and Israel on the one hand and Iran and the Arab world on the other hand.
Courtesy: MSN
The war in the Persian Gulf has already caused significant disruption in India’s South Asian neighbours. A prolonged conflict is likely to push the region back into economic and political crises from which it had been hopeful of emerging this year.
Courtesy: Finland in India
Amid the fast-changing geopolitical landscape, European Union (EU) member states seem to have rediscovered the value of close cooperation with India, an Asian power with greater ambitions. India, too, finds that growth in partnership with the EU and the UK is a source of strategic comfort. Both sides are propelled to deeper mutual policy proximity by the pressures generated by the Trump 2.0 presidency in the U.S.
Courtesy: Gateway House
India’s proposal to link the digital currencies of the BRICS nations could alter how emerging economies settle trade deals. It is necessary to examine the reasoning behind such a move, its effort to reducing dollar dependence, and the benefits that accrue to India.