Bilateral relations
India-Seychelles
Assumption Island naval base: agreed by both PM in 2015
Opposition protested and agreement declined
Still India welcomed their PM: announced Line of credit, handed Dornier Aircraft
Until 2021 election there: India has kept abeyance, room open for renegotiations, propelling softer approach
India-Mauritus
India publicly took on their leaders-->setback in strategic position
Maldives sending back naval gaurd back
Public recrimination having salutary effect
India-Nepa;
Nepal dependent on india for Sea transit trade
Madhesi Blockade 2015- changed the course of relation
Nepalis viewed it as move against land locked neighbor from India
China investing heavy in nepal: Railway. optic fibre
Need for India to regain monopoly-->rewrite geopolitics
India-USA
Irritants
USA coming out of Iran deal, and wants India tp revise relationships with Iran
Countering America·s Adversaries
Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) - Aims to counter agression of Iran, Russia and N.Korea through punitive measures
US tough policy on trade tariffs
Communications Compatibility And Security agreement(COMCASA)-to provide legal trasnfer framework for transfer of communication security equipment from US to India-->increase interoperability between forces
Indian foreign policy
Right track
Well thought out, emotional engagements add as force multiplier to soft power
Tapping, harnessing Hindu and Buddhist civilisational linkages for strategic benefit
Record level of FDI and improvements in global ranking
Capitalising on closer defence and strategic cooperation with US, japan and Israel
Renewed thrust with Gulf (UAE, Saudi)-->Indian diaspora, energy, sovereign wealth fund investments secured
India cast aside osolete concept of non-alignment and is entering into deeper relations
Wrong track
Indian neighbor hood bending towards china
Failed to maintain equilibrium between US, China, Russia, EU and ASEAN-->geostrategic implications
Antagonising both china and russia-->russia announced anti-terror exercise with PAK, China investing in SL
Conclusion/Implications
India's foreign policy resulted in loss of
eminent position in South Asia
Hitherto reliable partner, Russia is leaning towards China
Indian neighbors leveraging possibilities with China
Pakistan utilising opportunity>leaning on OBOR
Complicated scenario:challenges and headwinds;need to economically strengthen to improve defense tech: implement agreed upon projects
In news
lndia-U.S. 2+2 Dialogue is being held- purpose is to get four key
policy makers on the same page
Military ties and exercises have increased rapidly but diplomatic convergences are not keeping pace.
Key defence agreement not completed yet
Talks will review the US- South Asia policy on Afghanistan and its Indo-pacific strategy
Imp points to discuss
Operationalise India's status as a Major defence Partner
Concluding various defence purchases at faster rate
Signing of COMCASA that has been pending with few objections now
U.S. restrictions on defence purchases
from Russia under the new CAATSA
U.S. is likely to push for India's support
in its campaign against Iran
-Will pressurise India to reduce oil Imports
India-US convergence after Cold war
Because both were democracies
Both parties in USA supported Indian policies
Indian diaspora contribution in USA
Large tech companies finding markets in India
End of cold war, so changing global and regional realities
American private sector began to look at India with greter interest
Trajectory after cold war
1ndia conducted nuclear tests in 1998,
USA imposed sanctions
Dozen rounds of talks took place
changing perceptions leading to
the gradual lifting of the sanctions.
on, lndia-U.S. Bilateral Civil Nuclear
Cooperation Agreement was concluded in 2008
India-US defense relations: Chronology
USA declared India "Major Defence Partner"
in June 2016, due to which India can haveaccess to technologies just like USA's close
allies i.e., some of the NATO countries
LEMOA was signed, because of which
militaries of both the countries can use each others assets and bases
US now eased controls on high-technology
dual-use exports to India
It granted
exemption under the Strategic Trade Authorisation 1 List
more than threefourths
of lndia 1s defenceequipment, during the Cold
War Era was of Soviet origin.
But Over the past 5 years, US became the largest
arms supplier to India.
Critical Issues
CAATSA
This enables the U.S. Government to sanction
countries that engage in 'significant transactions' withRussian military and intelligence entities.
Proposed
purchase of the S-400 missile defence
system would attract CAATSA sanctions
A waiver was introduced now to cover India, Indonesia
and Vietnam
it requires certification by the U.S. and the country
concerned should gradually reduce its dependency onRussian equipment and cooperate with the U.S. on
criticaI security issues.
Iran sanctions
US imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran after its withdrawal from the nuclear deal
India has stepped up crude oil imports from Iran
And is also developing chabahar port
Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation
Act (2012)contains a waiver provision in case
of activities for reconstruction assistance andeconomic development for Afghanistan and
this is US priority also.
Way forward
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