Neighborhood

1. Afghanistan (Heart of Asia)

Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture
To Bypass Pakistani Influence in accessing Central Asia
Keep a check on Terrorism; Build democracy
Sale of defense equipment

2. Bangladesh (Golden Jubilee)

Neighborhood First Policy
Geography:
1. Land Boundary Agreement
2. Cooperation over Rivers
Culture
Stategic:
1. Exercise Sampriti & Exercise Milan
2. Border Management
3. Cooperation in International Connectivity: Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN)
4. Cooperation in National Connectivity: with the North East
Economy:
1. India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia
2. South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
Infrastructure:
1. Medical Tourism
2. Cooperation in Power Sector
Sundarbans
Concerns
1. Water Disputes
2. NRC
3. Illegal Immigration
4. Trafficking
5. Cattle Smuggling
6. Tilt towards China

3. Bhutan
Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture i.e. Buddhism
Diaspora
Administrative Support (LBSNAA)
Environmental MOUs:
 1. Air
2. WasteChemical Management
3. Climate Change
Infrastructure:
1. Medical Tourism
2. Cooperation in Hydropower (10,000MW commitment- Kholongchhu project)
Strategic Presence must to ensure security of Siliguri Corridor
Concerns:
1. Claims by China
2. Paternalistic approach of India
3. Interference in Internal affairs

4. China
Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture
Economic:
1. India + China = New World Order
2. Largest Trade Partner
3. Dependence on Supply Chains
Academic & Research
Environmental:
1. Clean Energy
2. EVs
Concerns:
1. Dumping
2. Protectionism
3. Technological protectionism
4. Standoff
5. Territorial Claims
6. Crisis of mutual trust & support at international fora and otherwise.
7. 1993 Agreement – Maintenance of Peace at LAC

5. Maldives
Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture
Tourism
Economic (Direct Cargo Ferry Service launched)
Strategic
Disaster Management
De-radicalization
Political Instability
 6. Myanmar (Burma)
Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture
Kaladan Project
Gateway to SE
Vast Oil & Gas resources
Golden triangle
Ethinic Conflicts
Political Instability
Support of Non state actors to insurgency in NE
India’s partnership being overshadowed by China

7. Nepal
Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture i.e. Buddhism & Pilgrimmage
Buffer State
Rivers
Border to many states
Trade & Economy
Connectivity (India Nepal Rail Trade)
Diaspora
Concerns:
1. Porous Borders
2. Currency Counterfeiting
3. Human Trafficking
4. Paternalistic approach of India
5. India’s partnership being overshadowed by China
6. Trust deficit due to delay in execution of populist commitments.
7. Popular Nepali sentiment drifting away from India owing to border disputes.
8. Political instability adding further to policy dilemma.

8. Srilanka
1. India extending support for solar energy projects.
2. Moving towards authoritarianism by abolishing the 19th amendment.

9. Pakistan
Geography
Cultural ties i.e. Cinema, Urdu

10. SAARC (since 1985)

Neighborhood First Policy
Geography
Culture
Members: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives
Purpose: Economic & Regional partnership
South Asian Free Trade Area(SAPTA)
BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement is expected to improve connectivity

How to reinfuse life into SAARC?

• One way to infuse life in SAARC is to revive the process of South Asian economic integration.
• India should create its dependence by Deeper economic integration
• There’s a need to resuscitate the negotiations on a SAARC investment treaty, pending since 2007.
Concerns:
1. Nan-Tarrif Barriers in Intra-SAARC
2. Intra-SAARC trade less than 5% of Global
3. Slow progress owes to bilateral trust deficit on account of political causes or otherwise.
Way Forward:
1. Strong Political Commitment
2. Dev of Railways
3. Dev of Inland Water Transportation
4. Promoting Energy Cooperation

11. USA
Have developed into a "global strategic partnership",
Shared democratic values
Convergence of interests on bilateral, regional and global issues.
Broad-based and multi-sectoral,
Trade and investment,
Defence and security,
Education,
Science and technology,
Cyber security,
High-technology
Nuclear energy,
Space technology
Clean energy, environment,
Agriculture and health.
Vibrant people-to-people interaction
Divergence:
1. Trade Disputes
2. US-Pakistan Equation
3. Internal Issues in India
4. Patent Issues
Convergence In the post-cold war era:
 1. Military agreement for sharing info (COMCASA).
2. Placed India in a privileged category of NATO and non-NATO U.S. allies.
3. '2+2’ foreign and defence ministers dialogue.
4. India-US tri-service military exercise and expansion of existing military exercises.
5. Inclusion of India in the US Maritime Security Initiative.
6. Against terrorism.
7. Pressurising Pakistan to act against terrorism by placing it on the grey-list of FATF.
8. Pivot to Asia policy
9. Quad.

12. Russia
Longstanding and time-tested friend
Has played a significant role in its economic dev and security.
Since “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” 2000, ties have acquired a
new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in all areas of including political, security, trade and
economy, defense, SnT and culture.
Indian and Russian investments in Vietnam’s oiland gas sector can be considered as one of the areas of
cooperation.
• Energy bridge from Arctic to Vladivostok to Chennai.
Importance of Russia for India:
1. Balancing China
2. New Sectors of Engagements: Weapons, Hydrocarbons, nuclear energy, and diamonds.
3. India’s footprint in Far East and Arctic. Connectivity projects may get a boost too.
4. Combating Terrorism: on Afghanistan
5. Support At Multilateral Forums

13. RIC (Russia India China) (same goes for BRICS)

Since 1990s as a ‘strategic triangle’ to counterbalance the Western alliance.”

Relevance of RIC for India

Membership for India was always about containing China in Eurasia
Cooperation: Interests converge on securing peace in Afghanistan (and C. Asia).
Governance over Arctic: With the Northern Sea Route opening up, RIC has a common interest in
ensuring that it is not left to the West and Russia alone and that India and China also
have major say in rules governing the Arctic route

Critical Analysis of RIC

• Conflict of Interest: India’s growing strategic partnership with the US, Japan, and Australia.
• Growing Russia-China Axis which undermines the grouping relevance for India
• West’s approach towards Russia after annexation of Crimea (2014) and recent US-China trade war
has brought Russia & China much closer
Conclusion
• Far from enjoying equal status, member countries in groups like the BRI, BRICS, RIC, SCO, RCEP are
seconded to Chinese special interests.
• Therefore, India must seek friends in other places like Quad and Japan-America-India (JAI)
formulation

14. Australia (India’s Extended Neighborhood)

Strong, vibrant, secular and multicultural democracies.
English language is an important link, Cricket, and Indian students are elements at the popular level.
Boost since 1991 reforms
Trade, energy and mining, S&T, IT, Edu. and Defence
Naval exercise, AUSINDEX every year.
Australia an observer to SAARC
QUAD
MOUs on:
1. Cyber technology
2. Mining of strategic minerals used for electronics
3. Vocational training
4. Water management.
5. Australia-India Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement
Australian to India
1. Uranium
2. Coal
3. Services (chiefly education)
4. Gold
5. Copper

India to Australia
1. Refined petroleum
2. Services (such as outsourcing)
3. Precious Stones
4. Medicaments

15. Japan
India Japan Logistics Agreement
Ties in Space Technology

16. Middle East

1. Abraham Accord
2. Blockade in Suez Canal
 3. IRAN:
a. Delay in enforcement of contracts from Iran thereby resulting in denial to India from
Chabahar Rail Project.
b. Gas field explorations
c. 25- year Strategic Partnership with China

17. Central Asia

India giving $1 Billion Line of Credit for dev projects such as Energy, IT, healthcare, Edu and Agri.
C. Asian members appreciate and look forward to India’s engagement in Chabahar.
18. Europe
Focus areas:
• India and EU to restart FTA negotiations - Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)
• Civil nuclear cooperation
• Maritime security dialogue
• Negotiations between Europol and the CBI.
• EU had welcomed India’s election to the UNSC.
Areas of convergence:
• Both share similar ‘universal values’ of democracy, pluralism, respect for international institutions and
multilateralism.
• Share common interest in tackling climate change, and building trade.
• EU is India’s largest trading partner, while India is the EU’s ninth biggest trading partner.
Areas of divergence:
• EU leadership had raised concerns over J&K and CAA.
• EU perceives “Atmanirbhar Bharat” as “protectionist” slogan.
• Enforcement of Contracts
• Intellectual Property framework
• Excessive customs duty on European Wine.

19. Africa
1. Counter Terrorism dialogue with Nigeria
2. Clear strategy for African development
3. Continue the current focus on capacity building
 4. Harness Indian civil society organisations, NGOs, and Indian diaspora:
5. Promote development-friendly private investments:
6. Timely completion of projects
7. Improve the experiences of Africans in India
8. A thought-fully planned vaccine strategy that balances interest of India and that of Africa
9. Pandemic in Africa and opportunity for India
10. Asia-Africa growth Corridor

20. IOR
1. India joins Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) as an Observer. DCOC/JA
is an anti-piracy grouping on maritime matters comprising states adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf
of Aden, the East Coast of Africa and Island countries in the Indian Ocean Region.
2. US- Maldives defence ties
3. Seychelles: India extending its infrastructural and political support.

SAGAR Vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region - SAGAR) for the IOR
To deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime neighbors and assist in building their
maritime security capabilities.
We seek to ensure IOR to become inclusive, collaborative & respect international law.
Need:
1. Leveraging Blue Economy (the on which thrives sustainably): For livelihood generation (food
industry), energy security (hydrocarbons, renewable), ecological resilience, strengthening
connectivity with neighbors etc. New technologies are opening frontiers of marine resource
development from bio-prospecting to mining of seabed mineral resources (poly-metallic
nodules).
2. Tackling Regional Issues: To provide humanitarian assistance in wake of natural disasters,
piracy and terrorism.
3. Checking Chinese Influence: The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen in conjunction
with Act East Policy, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security provider’, focus on Blue
Economy etc.
4. Maritime resurgence, as maritime issues are now centre of India’s foreign policy.
Associated Challenges
1. ‘Global Commons’ approach (everyone’s property is no one's responsibility) to using marine
resources.
2. It has created engagement of multiple players, the duplication of actions, and regional
dependence on international navies.
Way Forward
1. Formulating a binding Framework within the framework of UNCLOS.
2. There is a need to identify and designate certain areas ecologically and biologically sensitive.
3. IORA needs to consider a special regional cooperation programme on Blue Economy.
4. Need to make a impact through Project Sagarmala, with focus on port development,
connectivity, port-led industrialisation, and coastal community development.
5. SAGAR vision should now be expanded to include the coast guard agencies of the IOR
littorals countries.
Conclusion
 India’s consultative, democratic and equitable leadership can help achieve the Security and
sustainable growth to all in the region.

21. Reviving WTO

Challenges:
1. Backlash Against Globalisation
2. New Negotiating positions by Nations
3. Restoring Faith of common man: It’s mission is to enhance the conditions of poor not further
the agenda of corporates
A new SDG round of trade negotiations has numerous advantages for the WTO.
1. It is hard to disagree with the SDGs themselves since they are universally accepted.
2. It will be an opportunity for WTO to secure endorsement for the principle of free trade as it is a
matter of consensus that trade is indeed the best instrument for achieving many of the SDGs.
3. WTO’s future work programme should be directly linked to the objectives of Marrakesh
Agreement establishing the WTO, which talks of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth as well as full and productive employment and decent work for all.
What Steps should WTO take in future?
1. Recalibrating Special treatments
2. Conclude negotiations on Fisheries Subsidies
3. Correct Agriculture Subsidies
4. Electronic Commerce

22. Christ Church Call to Action

To Combat extremism Online

23. ISA

24. Supply Chain Resilience initiative

Japan; India; Australia

25. UNO
India won UNSC’s Non permanent seat and reiterated its commitment to 5-S:
UN and the new Multilateralism
How has International Politics affected UN functioning over the years?
1. History: UN, was meant, by design, to be a concert of great powers who had a permanent seat
in the UNSC.
2. During the Cold War: UNSC was helpless.
3. In 2000s, Russia and China began to offer resistance to US dominance.
Present Situation:
1. Conflict of US & (China + Russia) has become full-blown.
2. Leadership withdrawal from West (eg. US and BREXIT and talks of Frexit, Italexit, Spexit)
3. China not poised to occupy the space left by US
4. Increasing Polarisation of World
5. Resource Crunch for UN
6. Prospects for PPP model for UN seems bleak
7. SDGs and Climate Goals are threatened

What steps should India take in future with regard to UN?

1. Understand the Reality: UNSC reform is unlikely to happen soon
2. Develop Multilateral Agenda: India should develop a multilateral agenda of its own despite
UNSC being dysfunctional like it did in the past (decolonisation, disarmament and new
international economic order during Cold War era)
3. Increase India’s share in UN Budget: India’s share is 0.7%. China, Japan and the US have 8, 10 &
22 %.