FOREIGN POLICY: New, Strong and Clear Outreach

[sorcerer]

Italian PM to visit India, defence, space ties to be on top of the agenda
Prime Minister of Italy Prof Giuseppe Conte is arriving in New Delhi at the end of October. Prof Giuseppe who is coming to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold bilateral talks Oct 30 on wide range of issues including the increase in trade and investment and defence.

Space technology and innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence among others areas of interest is the focus of the Italian leader’s visit to India.

Though the visit will be part of the ongoing celebrations to commemorate 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Italy, the visiting Prime Minister will also to participate in the 24th edition of the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit 2018, where Italy is the Partner Country.

At the Technology summit organised by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) focus will be on joint ventures, R&D, technology transfer, the summit will focus on seven sectors including clean tech, Renewable, ICT, Healthcare, Aerospace, Education and Cultural Heritage.

Italy is India’s 5th largest trading partner in the EU with annual bilateral trade turnover at $ 10.4 billion (2017-18). The presence of over 600 Italian companies in India is an important link binding the economies. Indian companies are also investing and acquiring units in Italy.

According to the MEA, the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit will be attended by representatives of government, industry, academia, research institutes, scientific community and related agencies from India and Italy.

http://theindianawaaz.com/italian-pm-to-visit-india-defence-space-ties-to-be-on-top-of-the-agenda/


can the Italian PM take back their defunct ITALIAN product in India, Antonio Maino. aka Sonia Rajeev?

 

[Yggdrasil]

Italian PM to visit India, defence, space ties to be on top of the agenda
Prime Minister of Italy Prof Giuseppe Conte is arriving in New Delhi at the end of October. Prof Giuseppe who is coming to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold bilateral talks Oct 30 on wide range of issues including the increase in trade and investment and defence.

Space technology and innovation, robotics, artificial intelligence among others areas of interest is the focus of the Italian leader’s visit to India.

Though the visit will be part of the ongoing celebrations to commemorate 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Italy, the visiting Prime Minister will also to participate in the 24th edition of the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit 2018, where Italy is the Partner Country.

At the Technology summit organised by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) focus will be on joint ventures, R&D, technology transfer, the summit will focus on seven sectors including clean tech, Renewable, ICT, Healthcare, Aerospace, Education and Cultural Heritage.

Italy is India’s 5th largest trading partner in the EU with annual bilateral trade turnover at $ 10.4 billion (2017-18). The presence of over 600 Italian companies in India is an important link binding the economies. Indian companies are also investing and acquiring units in Italy.

According to the MEA, the DST-CII India-Italy Technology Summit will be attended by representatives of government, industry, academia, research institutes, scientific community and related agencies from India and Italy.

http://theindianawaaz.com/italian-pm-to-visit-india-defence-space-ties-to-be-on-top-of-the-agenda/


can the Italian PM take back their defunct ITALIAN product in India, Antonio Maino. aka Sonia Rajeev?

Can we request him to take back with him an unwanted guest and her idiot son.

 

[sorcerer]

India renews interest in running its first foreign military base in Tajikistan

India has signalled a renewed interest in developing and sustaining a military base in Ayni in Tajikistan.

President Ram Nath Kovind met an Indian Air Force contingent during his visit to the country this week (7-9 October), before returning to India Tuesday evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Ayni in 2015, but it was not publicised. A.K. Antony, the former defence minister, had also visited the base. India has so far sought to keep its military presence discreet.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj is scheduled to be in Dushanbe Thursday to participate in a Council of Heads of Government Meeting of the SCO.


Strategic Station ::

The Gissar Aerodrome in Ayni, just west of the Tajik capital Dushanbe, was for long a Soviet strategic station in Central Asia during the Cold War and the occupation of Afghanistan (1979-1989).

In 2001, just after the 9/11 terrorist attack that led to the US invasion of Afghanistan, the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee sought to strengthen ties with Tajikistan. Current National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was among those instrumental in establishing the minuscule Indian military presence in Tajikistan during the term of the Vajpayee government.

That was also the time the US and coalition forces were interested in the base as an alternate route (avoiding Pakistan) to Afghanistan.

At the time, India was still operating a hospital at Farkhor in southern Tajikistan near the border with northern Afghanistan. Afghan Tajik leader Ahmed Shah Masood of the Northern Alliance — which was fighting against the Taliban — was brought to the Farkhor hospital after a suicide bomber blew himself up near him.

However, Indian military doctors could not save Masood.


Why India is interested ::

At one time, New Delhi was hoping to convert Ayni into its first military base abroad. But that was cut short partly because India began hedging military relations with Russia.

“Actually, Indian interest in Tajikistan and in Ayni was a consequence of the (1999) Kargil war,” said Phunchok Stobdan, Central Asia expert with the government think tank Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis.

“The Subramanian committee (which did a post-mortem of the Kargil war and proposed reforms) had pointed to an intelligence failure that led to the Kargil war.”

The Indian security establishment determined that assets of the Aviation Research Centre, a department of the Research and Analysis Wing, could have been put to better use.

Tajikistan shares boundaries with China and Pakistan among others — it adjoins Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land that shares a boundary with PoK and China. Tajikistan is just about 20 km from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir across the corridor.

Pakistan is touchy about Indian military deployments in either Tajikistan or Afghanistan. Such deployments would effectively put India behind Pakistani lines with the risk of opening a second front.

India has been eying Ayni for the same reason, and also particularly as a foil for the Siachen Glacier, should Pakistani troops get to heights on the Saltoro Ridge that flanks the glacier and cannot be reached from the Indian side.

Since 2005, despite the flagging of ties, India has sustained a contingent of the Indian Air Force and the Border Roads Organisation in Ayni. The contingent is now nearly 150 strong.

The BRO developed and lengthened the airstrip at Gissar to 3,200 metres — long enough for most fixed-wing aircraft to land and take-off — after it was severely damaged since the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Indian government spent an estimated $70 million to rebuild the airstrip, hangars and overhauling facilities.

At one time, the Indian Air Force was planning to station MiG-29 fighter aircraft in Ayni, despite Pakistani and Chinese objections. That has never happened. But the Indian Air Force is continuing to maintain a helicopter detachment, air force sources said, refusing to give details on the number and type.

Stobdan, who last visited Ayni in 2015, recalls having seen “two or three” Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force at the base.

“But we have not used it (the Gissar airbase) for operational purposes. I think the helicopters were gifted to Tajikistan. We are there because we pay a rent,” he said.

India also runs a 50-bed hospital for Tajik military personnel at Qurgan Teppa in southern Tajikistan.


Diplomatic difficulties ::

The scope and scale of India’s military detachment in Ayni is yet a subject of discussion between India, Russia and Tajikistan. Russia patrols the Tajik skies and has a motorised rifle division deployed in Ayni.

Since being admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year and participating in war games with its members (including China and Pakistan), New Delhi is keen to revive the relationship with Dushanbe, which was in danger of flagging because of Moscow’s recalcitrance.

During President Kovind’s visit, India and Tajikistan discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and signed nine agreements. This included one on the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), which Doval used to head before his current assignment, and Tajikistan’s Centre for Strategic Research.

Tajikistan is also a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), along with Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It may require a green signal from the CSTO to allow foreign military operations in its territory. That is part of the reason for India’s renewed Central Asia outreach

https://theprint.in/security/india-...t-foreign-military-base-in-tajikistan/132454/

 

[sorcerer]

First Indo-US tri-services exercise likely to include Special Forces of both countries


Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66204419.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[sorcerer]

India, China launch joint training for Afghanistan, plan more projects

India and China launched a programme on Monday to train Afghan diplomats and China's ambassador said it would likely be followed by joint programmes in other fields to help war-torn Afghanistan.

Such cooperation is the first by the two Asian giants which have long been locked in a tussle for influence in a region stretching from Nepal to Sri Lanka and the island chain of the Maldives.

Within Afghanistan, India and the China have been on opposite sides with China relying on its old ally Pakistan as it seeks to stabilise Afghanistan by various means, including brokering talks to end the Taliban insurgency.

India, on the other hand, has invested billions of dollars in economic projects and training of military officers to strengthen the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban.

For its part, Pakistan sees the expansive diplomacy in Afghanistan by its old rival, India, as a way to encircle it.

China's ambassador to India said the joint training of 10 Afghan diplomats at the Indian Foreign Service Institute was the first step in China-India-Afghanistan cooperation that was agreed at a summit between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year.

"This is just the beginning. China and India have respective advantages. For example, India has remarkable edge in agriculture and medical services, and China in hybrid rice and poverty reduction," the ambassador, Luo Zhaohui, said in a speech.

"I am sure that in the future days China-India cooperation in Afghanistan will span from training programme to more concrete projects."

Modi and Xi agreed to handle long-standing political differences peacefully at their summit in China, just months after a dispute over a stretch of their Himalayan border near the tiny state of Bhutan rekindled fears of war.

Luo said India-China cooperation in Afghanistan should be extended to countries such as Bhutan, Nepal, the Maldives, Myanmar and even Iran.

In many of these countries, China is helping to build infrastructure as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, which India sees as a bid by China to expand its influence.

China's call for partnership comes just a week after its embassy in New Delhi said India and China must deepen their cooperation to fight trade protectionism, as it criticised the United States for what it termed provoking disputes.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...n-plan-more-projects/articleshow/66223740.cms

 

[sorcerer]

India, China to sign internal security cooperation agreement on Oct 22

NEW DELHI: For the first time, India and China will sign an internal security cooperation agreement next week, marking a new beginning in bilateral relations, officials said Tuesday.

Zhao Kezhi, China's Minister of Public Security, will visit India on October 22 and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries.

During the visit of the Chinese leader, an agreement on internal security cooperation between the two countries will be signed, a home ministry official told PTI.

The proposed pact is expected to cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others, an official said.

The move comes just a year after a two-month-long border stand-off between the India Army and the China's People's Liberation Army at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April this year which helped repair bilateral ties.

A Chinese delegation met an Indian team on August 28 to hold discussions on the forthcoming visit of the Chinese Minister of Public Security and the proposed pact on security cooperation between the two countries, the official said.

This will be the first such agreement between the authorities of India and China which look after internal security of the respective countries, the official said.

While Singh is the head of eight central armed police forces with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, Zhao is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement in China and commands about 19 lakh personnel.

The scheduled meeting may lead to a future India-China agreement on exchange of sentenced prisoners, another official said.

Currently, India does not have an extradition treaty with China, nor a pact to exchange each other's sentenced prisoners.

There are at least 10 Indians in Chinese prisons and an equal number of Chinese citizens in Indian prisons. :biggrin2::biggrin2:

Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66255791.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[sorcerer]

India Set To Operate Massive Military Base in Djibouti with Japan

India is all set to get access to the vital Djibouti military airbase, thanks to the proposed defence pact with Japan. Indian PM Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will hold the 13th India-Japan summit in Tokyo on October 28 and 29. As per media reports, they will sign an agreement to boost defence relations which includes sharing military assets and capabilities and provide logistical support to each other’s defence forces.

Delhi has since long been keen to get a foothold in Djibouti — in view of the geo-strategic importance of the country and China’s bid to turn it into yet another ‘pearl’ in its “String of Pearls” policy to encircle India.

The proposed defence between India and Japan is seen as another move to boost regional step up security cooperation in Indo-Pacific to counter Chinese aggression. The agreement will set a framework between the armies, air forces and navies of India and Japan to provide supplies and services on the principle of reciprocity.

According to media reports, the agreement will require armed forces of India and Japan to help each other with logistic support, including food, water, billet, transport, petroleum, oils, lubricants, clothing, communications, medical services, base support, storage, use of facilities, training services, spare parts, repair and maintenance and airport and seaport services.

Once the agreement is inked, the Indian defence forces will be able to use the military facilities of Japan, including its overseas base in Djibouti. Apart from the US and Japan, the People’s Liberation Army of China too set up its own military base in Djibouti, which is wedged between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and hence, a natural gatekeeper to a vital and extremely bustling sea-lane.

If New Delhi and Tokyo ink the pact, it will also allow Japan’s army, air force and navy to use military bases in India, including the one in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which also sit astride critical sea lanes of communication. India inked similar military logistics support agreements with the US and France in 2016 and early this year respectively.

https://eurasiantimes.com/india-set-to-operate-massive-military-base-in-djibouti-with-japan/

 

[sorcerer]

Military exercises with United States, Russia and Japan in November
NEW DELHI: India will conduct three major military exercises with the United States, Russia and Japan next month, in keeping with its balanced and inclusive strategic construct.

The one with Japan will happen for the first time following defence ministerial talks between the two countries in August. Taking their military cooperation forward, India and Japan will hold their first joint army exercise called ‘Dharma Guardian-2018’.

Involving the Indian Army and Japan’s Ground Self Defence Force, the exercise will be held at the Counter-Insurgency Warfare School in Vairengte, Mizoram, from November 1 to 14. The Army’s Eastern Command conducts its exercises at the school.

The Indian contingent will consist of troops from the 6/1Gorkha Rifles, while the Japanese contingent will be represented by the 32 Infantry Regiment.

“Emphasis will be laid on increasing interoperability between forces from both countries. Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in urban warfare scenario. Experts from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their expertise on operational aspects,” said Col Aman Anand, Indian Army’s public relations officer.

The Indian Army, thereafter, will hold another exercise called ‘Indra’ with their Russian counterpart at Babina in Uttar Pradesh.

A contingent strength of 250 from the Army’s 5th Mechanised Infantry unit will be participating in the exercise from November 16 to 29. This drill is separate from the first tri-services exercise — also named Indra — between India and Russia held at Vladivostok in October last year.

This exercise, involving elements from the Army, Navy and Air Force for counter-terrorism training, was the first of its kind, which India had conducted with any of its foreign partners. Before this Indra was only conducted as a single service exercise between the two countries.

Coinciding with Indra, special forces from India and the US will jointly practise their clandestine and counter-terrorism skills in the ‘Vajra Prahar’ exercise at Mahajan in Rajasthan. The exercise is to be held from November 19 to December 2. This will involve special forces from the Army.

It will come in the backdrop of India and the US having agreed at the 2+2 dialogue last month to hold their first joint tri-services exercise. This will be second such exercise to be conducted by India after the one with Russia. The Indo-US exercise is scheduled to be conducted off India’s eastern coast next year. The two countries also annually conduct the ‘Yudh Abhyas’ exercise between their armies and ‘Malabar’, a naval exercise involving Japan as well. Now, with the latest exercise to be held with Japan, India is aiming at deepening its strategic ties, including better defence cooperation with the country.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...nd-japan-in-november/articleshow/66279668.cms


The balancing act!

 

[sorcerer]

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets Singapore’s deputy PM

Defence Minister Nimala Sitharaman met Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meet here on Saturday. The 12th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 5th ADMM-Plus are being held in Singapore and attended by the defence ministers from the ASEAN countries.

The ministers emphasised the importance of cooperation between states and their competent bodies who bear the primary responsibility in preventing and combatting terrorism. “We call upon all states to fulfil their international counter-terrorism obligations, including taking lawful steps to prevent the commission of terrorist acts, eliminating the financing of terrorism and other material support there to, suppressing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, and preventing the recruitment and movement of terrorists,”it said.

https://indianexpress.com/article/i...man-meets-singapores-deputy-pm-asean-5410695/

 

[sorcerer]

India, 7 Other Countries Tentatively Agree To Multilateral Air Encounter Code

SINGAPORE: Several countries including the United States and China agreed "in principle" on Saturday to multilateral guidelines to manage unexpected encounters between their military aircraft, joining 10 Southeast Asian nations already in the pact.

The world's two biggest economies as well as Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea tentatively joined the agreement, which was initially adopted on Friday by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to a joint statement issued after a meeting of defence ministers from the 18 countries in Singapore.

The voluntary, non-binding guidelines build on an existing code to manage sea encounters was adopted by all 18 countries last year, which was designed to mitigate risks following a boom in the region's maritime and air traffic in recent years.


"We all know that if there is a physical incident it changes the name of the game...it creates a cascade of activities that you cannot control," Singapore defence minister Ng Eng Hen, the host, said at a press briefing following the meeting.


The air code has been hailed as the first multilateral deal of its kind, although such arrangements exist at bilateral levels. The US and China, for instance, in 2015 signed a pact on a military hotline and rules governing air-to-air encounters.


US defense secretary Jim Mattis told his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, on Thursday that their countries needed to deepen high-level ties so as to navigate tension and rein in the risk of inadvertent conflict.


The US military flew B-52 bombers across the South China Sea in September. Earlier this month, a US Navy destroyer sailed near islands China claims, drawing the ire of Beijing.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...l-air-encounter-code/articleshow/66292511.cms

 

[sorcerer]

Modi diplomacy redefining India

Rarely in the recent past has there been any country like India which has been able to extract so many concessions from the US even while successfully meandering through American sanctions against purchase of state-of-the-art defence systems from Russia

The signing of the deal for S-400 air defence systems worth $5.43 billion earlier this month between India and Russia is significant in many ways. It is not just another deal but an exemplification of the coming of age of a regional powerhouse which is now confident of its moves and does its homework well before taking calculated risks.

More than its efficacy of being a technological marvel, which has the potential to neutralise almost all kinds of aerial threats emanating from China, Pakistan or Pakistan-based radical terror groups, the purchase of S-400 is the pinnacle of India’s diplomatic statecraft wherein it meandered most skillfully through the tumultuous contours of American sanctions and yet reached its objective without antagonising too many.

At best, there will be awe; at worse, there will be grudging acknowledgement of India’s grit beneath the soft smiles. But punitive sanctions can be ruled out for the moment. The outcome, it seems, has been thought out by the Modi Administration to the end before throwing the dice.

The acquisition of S-400, coupled with the Indo-Israeli project on the development of Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MR-SAM), in addition to the progress on development of indigenous anti-ballistic missile systems, namely Advanced Air Defence and Prithvi Air Defence, would invariably make India much better equipped in air defence capabilities than it was a few years back.

It is generally not easy to buy weapon systems or to even do businesses with a country on which sanctions have been imposed by the US Administration. Among others, the Countering American Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) is aimed at imposing punitive sanctions against any country which would actively engage in ‘significant transactions’ with Russia’s defence and intelligence sectors. These sanctions are in addition to the sanctions imposed previously on Russia by the US Administration in the aftermath of the Ukraine-Russia face-off.

Incidentally, under the aegis of the Modi Administration, the S-400 deal is not the first but the second major business deal involving Russia despite American sanctions. The first was the acquisition of Essar Oil by Russia’s energy behemoth, Rosneft and its partners in a $12.9 billion deal in 2017 that stamped Russia’s first major investment in India’s downstream energy business. Though a private deal, it undoubtedly had blessings from both Governments since it involved similar meandering through American sanctions.

Defence deals involving billions of dollars do not happen at the blink of an eye. Signing of contracts is generally preceded by years of hard negotiations. Interestingly, since 2015, even as the Modi Government continued with its price negotiations with Russia for the purchase of S-400 air defence systems, India also simultaneously continued to deepen its relation with the US, which was validated by America declaring India as a ‘major defence partner’ in 2016. This was followed by India’s eventual entry into the coveted Missile Technology Control Regime or MTCR club, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group, albeit with strong support from the US, without which these entries would have been an uphill task. The Modi Administration deserves credit for successfully pursuing the US in supporting India’s candidature.

Recently, India was also accorded the STA-1 or Strategic Trade Authorisation Level-1 status by the US, thereby paving way for exports of high-tech equipment to India. Additionally, India is now also eligible to avail critical high-end communication and imagery technologies from the US after New Delhi signed the Communication Compatibility and Security Agreement with the US.

In between, the Trump Administration renamed the Asia Pacific Command into the US Indo Pacific Command, a reflection of the increasing importance that Washington was giving to the regional powerhouse. All this while, the US was well aware of India’s negotiations with Russia on S-400, even as India made it clear about its reluctance to toe the US line on issues of sanctions on Iran and Russia.

For the US, even though its defence and energy companies would want CAATSA to be imposed vigorously in order to wean away many countries from Russian client list, the path for the same was not that easy. Apparently the Modi Government seems to have been successful in convincing the US that if it wants India to be a net provider of security in the Indo Pacific region, then it has to take care of India’s considerations.

The issue at stake is not just about S-400, but a legacy of issues related to a huge chunk of Indian weapons platforms being of Russian origin which needs spares and support from Russian manufacturers. Thus, while India would deepen its defence ties with the US, it is for sure that it would not ditch Russia either.

Further, it would not be wrong to presume that India also read well the divergence of views that exists between US President Trump and the US Congress on the issue of Russia. During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Trump tweeted the following, “Our relationship with Russia has never been worse, thanks to many years of US foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!”

Eventually, it was his reluctance to go ahead with the implementation of CAATSA and India’s hardball negotiations that were perhaps the reasons for the US Congress to allow provisions for presidential waiver to sanctions on CAATSA under the NDAA-2019, specifically for countries like India, in the greater interest of protecting Indo-US alliance. If the US had apprehensions about the confidentiality of radar signatures of some of its critical aerial platforms sold to India, that concern has already been addressed by India through assurances of not sharing any such signature with Russia platforms like S-400.

After having declared India a ‘major defence partner’ it would have been difficult for the US to declare sanctions on India. Besides, the American experience of imposing sanctions on India post nuclear test in 1998 was proof enough that sanctions simply do not work.

India did not collapse and on the contrary emerged stronger while the US lost considerable business opportunities because of self-imposed sanctions. Eventually, the US was forced to lift the sanctions. Today’s India is far bigger economically and more resilient than what it was in 1998. The ball, as is being said, is in American court. It would be interesting to see what Trump eventually does.

Reports indicate that the Modi Administration might not just stop at purchase of S-400 system. Also on cards are deeper engagements with Russia with purchase of four additional upgraded Krivak Class frigates, 48 Mi-17V5 helicopters, collaboration on joint production of Ka-226 Helicopters and AK-103 assault rifles in India.

Rarely in the recent past has there been any country like India which has been able to extract so much concession from the US even while successfully meandering through US sanctions to buy state-of-the-art defence systems from Russia. If elections could have been won on geopolitical statecraft, then the Modi Administration’s diplomatic brinkmanship would have been good enough for him to win the 2019 Lok Sabha elections

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/columnists/modi-diplomacy-redefining-india.html

 

[sorcerer]

Defence, connectivity key in PM Narendra Modi’s Japan visit
Defence and connectivity, with an eye to China, will top the agenda when Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes his two-day state visit to Japan from October 28. The two governments will make announcements regarding two agreements allowing closer naval cooperation. Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, said Japanese ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu, will unveil “a concrete infrastructure project implemented together” in South Asia.

He said Abe, who had been impressed at the crowds who had greeted him when he visited Gandhinagar last year, was planning “a very personal arrangement and discussion.”

Japan, say Indian officials, has become India’s most important strategic partner in Asia. Few governments align their foreign policies as closely to New Delhi’s as Tokyo. Even fewer have committed as much aid and investment to boost India’s economy.

“A strong India is in Japan’s best interest and for that, we must provide even more support,” said Hiramatsu.

Trade and investment have dominated relations. “Defence and security now need to catch up,” the ambassador added.

An agreement on maritime domain awareness will be signed while talks on another on naval logistics will be initiated. Japan declined to bid for a recent Indian Navy submarine tender because, the ambassador indicated, New Delhi was holding separate talks over Japan’s Soryu-class attack submarine. “This is now being processed internally by India,” he said, and talks were on with a private sector Indian partner.

Besides the high-profile trilateral Malabar Exercises, this month India and Japan are holding bilateral maritime exercises and the first-ever joint army exercises in November.

Indian officials have in the past expressed unhappiness at Tokyo’s reluctance to provide defence equipment and technology. While Abe has been enthusiastic, his bureaucrats have dragged their heels citing the country’s pacifist constitution.

Japan is a world leader in anti-submarine warfare and maritime awareness equipment. Its fifth-generation fighter prototype is undergoing flight tests.

India and Japan have made common cause in countering the geopolitical consequences of China’s Belt Road Initiative.

Hiramatsu noted the two countries have an agreement to carry out joint connectivity and infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific area. He indicated a new project would be announced at the summit in Tokyo. Expectations are that it would help connect India with one of its smaller neighbours.

Japan recently identified more roads it would build or upgrade in the Northeast, including connectors to Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Future discussions will identify more such projects.

Indo-Japanese strategic cooperation has had its share of problems. Plans for India to buy and manufacture a Japanese maritime seaplane have foundered on technology issues. Nothing has come out of a civil nuclear agreement signed two years ago, in part because a key Japanese firm sold off its reactor business.

The most ambitious project, a high-speed train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, is facing land acquisition problems. Hiramatsu said he was confident the train project “will be completed as scheduled.” This will be Modi’s third visit to Japan as the Prime Minister .

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...japan-visit/story-PWKXTDWWRRFVqTNVzQcV0J.html

 

[sorcerer]

India, China sign intel sharing pact

NEW DELHI: India and China on Monday signed their maiden internal security cooperation agreement that among other areas of cooperation will involve intelligence sharing between two sides amid common threats from international terror.

The pact is expected to set up mechanism for cooperation between internal security establishments of the two countries for the first time. The pact is being signed during visit of Zhao Kezhi, China's Minister of Public Security beginning Monday.

Kezhi held meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries, sources informed.

The proposed pact will cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others, sources said. It is expected that pact could open up counter-terror partnership between the two sides.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held an informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April this year which led to number of CBMs including visits by senior Chinese Ministers.

A Chinese delegation met an Indian team on August 28 and the proposed pact on security cooperation between the two countries.

This will be the first such agreement between the authorities of India and China which look after internal security of the respective countries, the official said.

While Singh is the head of eight central armed police forces with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, Zhao is responsible for day-to-day law enforcement in China and commands about 19 lakh personnel.

The scheduled meeting may lead to a future India-China agreement on exchange of sentenced prisoners. There are at least 10 Indians in Chinese prisons and an equal number of Chinese citizens in Indian prisons.



Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66322902.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[sorcerer]

Nirmala Sitharaman holds wide-ranging talks with Indonesian Defence Minister
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held wide-ranging talks with her Indonesian counterpart Gen (Retd) Ryamizard Rycudu during which the two leaders discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation, including strengthening maritime and coastal security.

The meeting between the two leaders on Tuesday comes months after the two countries elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The two sides have also concluded a new Defence Cooperation Agreement in May 2018.

The two leaders discussed areas of enhancing cooperation, including strengthening maritime and coastal security, through improved information sharing and conduct of specialised training courses, said an official statement.They identified defence industries and defence R&D as the potential areas of cooperation.

Both the ministers agreed to set up working groups to boost the bilateral defence engagements and emphasised that these groups should meet at the earliest in India.

Sitharaman reiterated the sustained and mutually beneficial interactions between the two countries as maritime neighbours with a tradition of close political dialogue, economic and trade linkages as well as cultural and people-to-people interactions between the two nations.


She also welcomed Indonesia's support for the proposal to partner India in the Malacca Straits Patrol.

Sitharaman expressed satisfaction on the military-to-military ties and noted that the commencement of bilateral Naval and Air Force exercises as well as the regular conduct of staff talks between the three services sets a strong foundation for bilateral defence cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.

She also met Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Gen (Retd) Luhut Panjaitan and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Gen (Retd) Wiranto.

During these meetings, issues of strategic interest and potential areas of bilateral defence cooperation were discussed and agreed to.

Sitharaman, who arrived here Monday on a two-day visit, also laid a wreath at the memorial in Jakarta for the Indian soldiers who died in Indonesia during World War II.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Indonesia in May during which the two countries signed a pact on defence cooperation and elevated their ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
https://www.dnaindia.com/india/repo...alks-with-indonesian-defence-minister-2678842

 

[sorcerer]

China, India aims to hold army drills in China by year end

China and India aim to hold joint army drills in China before the end of this year, China's Defence Ministry said on Thursday, as the two countries continue a rapid rapprochement.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...in-china-by-year-end/articleshow/66362721.cms

 

[sorcerer]

India explores corridor to Kazakhstan, Eastern Russia via Iran

NEW DELHI: India, notwithstanding impending sanctions on Iran, is attempting to put in place a corridor linking Gujarat and West Bengal to Kazakhstan and Eastern Russia via Iran's Bandar Abbas Port.

Plans are afoot to link Gujarat's Mundra PortNSE -0.49 % with Bandar Abbas and connect it to Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railway network and onwards to Eastern Russia. The idea is to not only access markets of this landlocked region but also create a corridor to import natural resources from the region in a shorter period than being done currently, according to officials.

Officials from India and Kazakhstan are meeting in Delhi next week to finetune proposal for the corridor which will run parallel to International North South Transport Corridor and Chabahar corridor both through Iran. While Gujarat is geographically closer to Bandar Abbas, the goal of the proposed corridor is to connect Eastern India with Eurasia in the backdrop of India’s Indo-Pacific construct from Western part of Indian Ocean region to the Pacific.

The proposal for new corridor is the backdrop of Moscow launching talks with Delhi for the creation of a corridor connecting Russia-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-India. The resource rich and growing economies of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are seeking access to ocean and nearest gateway to ocean is via Iran. Sources said that two big Central Asian republics mindful of sanctions on Iran is seeking to engage with Tehran in their national interest.

Meanwhile, India-Iran-Afghanistan on Tuesday held their coordination meeting in Tehran on operationalisation of Chabahar Port. The Tehran meeting will help draw legal framework for implementation of Chabahar agreement, Secretary (Economic Relations) MEA T S Tirumurti said at the first meeting of Coordination Council of Agreement on the Establishment of an International Transport and Transit Corridor. India has already provided a draft of that framework and will send it to Iran and Afghanistan through diplomatic channel, Tirumurti informed.

Delhi has also proposed forming committees on Chabahar agreement within next two months to follow up implementation of the deal.
Read more at:
//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66334934.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[prohumanity]

With Israel And USA hellbent to destroy Iran,,,,,Is it a good idea for India to invest so much money in that country. An attack by Israel plus USA can lead to a 50 year long war with Iran, China, Russia continuously supplying weapons to Iran. In such scenario, India will be forced to defend Iran in order to protect its own economic interests. Everything gets very ugly and dangerous if out of 80 millions, just one million Iranians end up making Iranian ISIS and create mayhem in Saudi, Jordan and other US allies. Blood and Oil will flow all over.
As Saddam once said "it will be mother of all Wars" He might turn out correct...Hope this war never start!!!

 

[Prashant12]

US agrees to grant India waiver from Iran sanctions



New Delhi: The US has broadly agreed to grant India a waiver from Iran sanctions after the Indian side decided to cut oil imports from Tehran by about a third in 2018-19, sources familiar with the matter said, adding that an official announcement could be made over the next few days.

The US plans to re-impose oil-related sanctions on Iran on November 4 to choke the Islamic Republic’s biggest source of income and pressure it to renegotiate a new nuclear deal.

Any country, or company, trading with Iran without US consent after sanctions kick off risks getting cut off from the American financial system.

The US has insisted all along that it wanted every country to reduce oil imports from Iran to zero eventually, but was open to country-specific waivers that would allow limited imports by those pledging ‘significant’ cut.

India and other key importing countries have been engaged for months with the US for a waiver.

“India and the US have broadly agreed on waiver. India will cut import by about 35% from last year (2017-18), which is a significant cut,” a source said.

India had imported about 22 million tonnes of crude oil from Iran in 2017-18 and initially planned to raise that to about 30 million tonnes in 2018-19. But, as a condition of waiver, Indian oil firms will reduce their imports to 14-15 million tonnes, the source said.

This would mean 1.25 million tonnes a month up to March 2019, the same as companies ordered for October and November, the source said. State oil firms are yet to decide on how this quantum will be split between them.

A waiver will come as a big relief to Indian Oil and MRPL, the two largest Iranian oil consumers.

How companies will pay for Iranian oil is still being negotiated between India and Iran, sources said, adding that it’s likely that the two countries will stick to the existing mechanism under which 55% of payment is made in euro and 45% in rupee through UCO Bank. Under this, rupee is used for import of rice, drugs, and other products from India while the balance proceeds in rupee and euro sit idle in the Indian bank waiting for sanctions to go.

The Indian side, while building its case for a waiver, assured the US that this payment mechanism ensures Iran can’t use oil money from India for any terror-related activity, a key American concern.

During the negotiations, India also told the US that it would like to import more American oil if it came on competitive terms, sources said. India and Iran still have to figure out shipping and insurance details for a smooth trade. Currently, Iran provides its tankers as well as insurance for oil cargoes to India. The US sanctions have driven away Indian and international shippers and insurers from extending their services for Iranian oil imports.

Refineries using Iranian oil have also faced insurance issues during renewals in recent months.

Indian and the US officials have been negotiating for months on terms of waiver from sanctions.

India prefers Iranian oil as it comes cheap and suits many refineries' technical configuration.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...medium=social&utm_campaign=socialsharebuttons

 

[ezsasa]

Right move, gents.

Trump admin issues waiver for India's investment in Iran's Chabahar port.

"After extensive consideration, the Secretary has provided for an exception from the imposition of certain sanctions under the[IFCA]with respect to the development of the Chabahar Port"

 

[sorcerer]

Ram diplomacy
This has been Prime Minister Modi’s soft-power success across Asia

India’s cultural richness and the wide expanse of its spiritual knowledge and icons, are important pillars in Modi’s approach to diplomacy.

In May this year, during the customary banquet hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, members of the visiting delegation were surprised to find a small box next to each dinner plate. Inside each box was a small figurine, depicting a famous character of the Ramayana.

This gesture, in many ways, is reflective of the spotlight that PM Modi has been able to cast afresh, on the legacy of Lord Rama.

The same day, President Widodo and Modi had jointly inaugurated a kite exhibition in Jakarta, which featured themes from Indian texts including the Ramayana.

Indonesia, of course, is one of the members of ASEAN, with whom India has forged close links as part of its Act East policy. At the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in New Delhi in January this year, Modi said that the Ramayana continues to be a valuable shared legacy in the ASEAN region and the Indian subcontinent. He mentioned the Ramayana Festival with troupes from ASEAN countries, organised by India, to showcase our common cultural heritage.

In fact, the dance drama Rama Hari, based on the Ramayana, was also part of the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit in Manila, in the Philippines, in 2017.

The legend of Queen Suriratna, originally of Ayodhya, who travelled to Korea in the first century AD, and married the Korean King Suro, has been repeatedly referred to by the prime minister, both during his public engagements, as well as in private conversations with visiting Korean delegations.

In May 2015, during Modi’s visit to South Korea, this special relationship between Ayodhya and Korea became part of the joint statement issued on the occasion. The two sides agreed to upgrade the monument for Queen Suriratna in Ayodhya as a joint project. India also invited Korea to participate in a seminar on the subject “Shared Heritage as New Variable in the Indo-Korean Relations: Historicising the Legend of Princess from Ayodhya and its Legacy”.

The Ayodhya link with Korea has found mention in his interaction with Korean business leaders, as well as with the Indian community in Korea.

On a special invitation from Modi, the First Lady of the Republic of Korea, Kim Jung-Sook, was an honoured guest at the Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya this year. The occasion was also special, as it marked the ground-breaking ceremony for the new memorial of Queen Suriratna in Ayodhya.

Spiritual links between India and Nepal have been a constant factor in Modi’s interactions with the leadership of that country. His visit to Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita, in May 2018, marked the launch of the Nepal-India Ramayana Circuit, which connects Ayodhya and Janakpur with other sites associated with the Ramayana. Modi also announced Rs 100 crore for the development of Janakpur. At a civic reception, the prime minister remarked that India and Nepal have shared close ties for ages. “This is the place of Maa Janaki, without whom Ayodhya is incomplete,” he said in his remarks to the people of Janakpur. Indeed, the two towns were linked by a sister-city agreement between India and Nepal in 2014.

In Colombo, March 2015, in his address to the parliament of Sri Lanka, Modi reflected on the many strands of the relationship between the two countries. Dwelling on the spiritual links between India and Sri Lanka, he recalled the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka.


During a pathbreaking visit to Central Asia in July 2015, the prime minister had presented to President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, a set of books relating to religions born in India. Among the books was a Persian translation of Valmiki’s Ramayana in Nastaliq script. Speaking at a conference in Tehran in May 2016, on the theme “India and Iran, Two Great Civilisations,” the prime minister noted that the Ramayana has seen over a dozen translations in Persian.

Modi has been a strong proponent of the importance of soft power in the rise of nations. India’s cultural richness and the wide expanse of its spiritual knowledge and icons, are important pillars in his approach to diplomacy. And, who better than Lord Rama to connect India and the world!

Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/ram-diplomacy-modi-government-soft-power-5436433/


This my fellow men is using what we have to reach out and win..the art of diplomacy.