Putin Seeks To Include China, India, Iran In Fledgling Eurasian Union

Zebra

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http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/06/putin-seeks-to-include-china-india-iran.html

Putin Seeks To Include China, India, Iran In Fledgling Eurasian Union


Tuesday, June 21, 2016 by Indiandefense News

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a Transpacific Partnership style deal with China and India on Friday during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum

Russian president Vladimir Putin wants to include economic powerhouse China in its fledgling Eurasian Economic Union, and is even considering inviting India, Iran and Pakistan to the mix. Putin made the partnership proposal during his keynote address Friday at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Negotiation with China are scheduled to kick off later this month. China has become a relatively new discovery to the Russians. Once European sanctions hit Russian banks in 2014, Russia quickly moved to China to fill the gaps. Most of the deals have involved oil and gas pipelines. But other economic tie-ups include a joint venture in agribusiness along the Russian-Chinese border, and 2015 memorandum of understanding to connect the Moscow Stock Exchange to Shanghai in order to facilitate currency swaps and other forex hedging instruments that would allow the two countries — in theory — to conduct trade in their own currencies instead of the dollar.

Russian and Chinese officials will meet again in September to discuss China’s role, if any, in the Eurasian Economic Union. China already has a large investment plan set in place, known as One Belt One Road, which includes Pakistan on its to-do list of foreign infrastructure investment.

The roughly $4 trillion Eurasian Economic Union was the brainchild of Kazakhstan leader Nursultan Nazarbayev. It was first proposed after the fall of the Soviet Union, of which Kazakhstan was one of the larger members. But while Nazarbayev may see it more as a means to bring foreign investment into a country that’s more known for the film Borat than for its cities and landscapes, Russia’s view of the EEU is more of an “iron curtain” of sorts against European Union influence within Russia’s political orbit.

To date, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are the only members. Putin’s offer is not for full integration of China and others into the EEU. He called it a Eurasian Partnership agreement, which on the surface looks a bit like the U.S. Trans-Pacific Partnership deal with the Pacific Rim countries ex-China.

Investors should watch to see if this is mere Putin political rhetoric, or if the Chinese are going to hop on board.
 

Zebra

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http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/06/his-voyage-to-america.html

His Voyage To America


Tuesday, June 21, 2016 by Indiandefense News

by T P Sreenivasan

By naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of India-US relations laid out in his speech to the joint session of the US Congress as the “Modi Doctrine”, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Biswal acknowledged Modi’s willingness to go all out to become an ally of the US, but attributed the ideas outlined in the address to a doctrine of his own. She hinted that the US had an open mind on it, but was not committed to it.

As a stated principle of government policy, Modi’s speech to the Congress can be characterised as a doctrine, but a doctrine should encompass a global vision covering other countries and regions of the world. With regard to the US, however, it was more of a plan of action than a doctrine. It is also not the style of Modi to be doctrinaire in his approach to foreign policy. He has proved himself to be a pragmatist. If he was doctrinaire in his approach, many of the proposals could not have been made at all as many were opposed by the BJP, including the desire to be an ally of the US.

The nuclear deal and related issues have come full circle for Modi. He was part of the Vajpayee government’s efforts to get the US to come to terms with the Indian nuclear tests, when Jaswant Singh was engaged in a conversation with Strobe Talbott, which eventually led to the nuclear deal. Then the BJP opposed the nuclear deal as contrary to Indian interests and shaped the liability law, which stood in the way of nuclear trade with the US. Modi, as PM, is hard at work to negate the liability law to set up six Westinghouse reactors in India. Nothing is heard of the liability law and no one knows how the people of Andhra Pradesh will react to a virtual nuclear park in their state. Pragmatism, rather than a nuclear doctrine, drives Modi.

Being designated as a “defence partner” and gaining access to technology like “the closest allies and partners” is a mere extension of the defence collaboration agreement signed in 2005 by the then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee. Stymied by A.K. Antony’s reluctance to make purchases and the American insistence on agreements on sharing information, defence cooperation was going slow, but Modi has revived it as part of the ‘Make in India’ plan to remove the stigma of being the largest importer of weapons in the world.

The renewable energy program forged with the US is not new either. Side by side with the nuclear deal, emphasis was given to the development of renewable energy to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. Similarly, increasing bilateral trade has been a part of the relationship for many years and it will remain a priority. Every PM has sought remarkable increase in trade and the US has also been keen on setting high figures for bilateral trade.

When Modi spoke about overcoming the hesitation of the past, it is clear that he was not announcing a new policy of friendship with the US. India had always been keen on good relations with the US and it was the US which had declared nonalignment immoral and branded India as pro-Soviet. It was the US which hyphenated India and Pakistan and allied itself with the military in Pakistan without giving India credit for its democracy. Successive prime ministers have attached importance to improving ties with the US. After the end of the Cold War, India readjusted its foreign policy to accommodate the US as a friend. P.V. Narasimha Rao thought he had resolved the nuclear imbroglio and opened a new chapter in relations. Manmohan Singh risked the very survival of his government to sign the nuclear deal. The hesitations of the past were more on the US side than on the Indian side. So Modi has merely taken an established policy forward beyond the previous government’s position by leaning towards the US in the Asia-Pacific because of the dictates of security. In other words, there is no new doctrine here.

In fact, Modi’s address to the joint session of the US Congress was not substantially different from those of his predecessors. All of them spoke about the strong cultural ties, democratic values and historic links, and common elements in the constitutions of the two countries, even though none of these came into play in the bilateral relations during the Cold War. They spoke of the cooperation that existed from the time of Indian independence in education, science and trade. They spoke about the presence of a large number of Indians in the US, who had contributed to the US and made India proud. They also did not hesitate to mention differing perspectives of the two countries on certain issues.

The difference this time was the transformation of India from a friend to an ally, which wishes to transfer many eggs from other baskets to the American one without worrying too much about strategic autonomy. Indira Gandhi did much the same in 1971 with regard to the Soviet Union. Deepening worry about China is driving India into an American embrace, but not without fear that the embrace might turn out to be like the famed embrace of Bhima by Dhritarashtra. But the Indian public appears to have taken the move in its stride.

Modi claims that there is a new symphony being played. But the symphony is not new, it is a new orchestra playing the old symphony more loudly and clearly. The US sees it as a new doctrine, yet to be understood and absorbed by it. In actual fact, wanting to be friendly with the US has been in the Indian security doctrine right from the end of the Cold War. What is new is the American willingness to tango with India, as stated by Ashton B. Carter: “There is important business with respect to Pakistan, but we have, much more, a whole global agenda with India, agenda that covers all kinds of issues.” The New York Times has stated that “India has displaced Pakistan in American interests and hearts.” But the mention of Pakistan in both the statements is ominous. India-US relations are bound to remain like a roller coaster ride, but they are certainly on the upward trajectory after Modi’s voyage.

The writer is a former ambassador of India who was deputy chief of mission in Washington
 

Zebra

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Putin Seeks To Include China, India, Iran In Fledgling Eurasian Union
Russia never liked that India get involved in CAR.

Correct me if I am wrong.

His Voyage To America
One day Modi wants India to be on anti US side, where Russia and China are today.

--------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------

No good.
Better stay with US.
Stay on anti Russia and China side.

My two cents though.
 

Screambowl

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India has no problem. The only problem is Pakistan. And every sane nation understands it. The real Vibhishan is Pakistan. India is being close to US but this closeness is nothing as compared with China, and Russia with the US. They talk business more closely.

India has to make it clear that it is the Pakistan which is the real illegitimate child of US. Pakistan has nothing to offer but fraud. They will leak the details to US for sure. If they are included in this Union.
 

Razor

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:hmm:

If China and Iran and India are included, wouldn't it be redundant with the SCO??

As far as I understand, Eurasian Economic Union (EEU, which is the correct term; not Eurasian Union) is for the post-Soviet states or at least most of them.
 

Zebra

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http://www.defenceupdate.in/india-shanghai-cooperation-organization/

India and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is expected to witness its first expansion since its establishment 15 years ago at the forthcoming Summit in Tashkent on June 23-24, 2016. At the last Summit in Ufa, Russia in July 2015, the group decided to admit India and Pakistan. Over the last year, hectic parleys have been underway to finalize this issue............

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:facepalm:

Modi ko aur koi nahi mila.....!......?

SCO join karana hai ab.
 
Last edited:

Zebra

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^^

May be.........

Modi is getting old now.

Sorry, (but no sorry).
 

Bahamut

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EEU is similar to EU as it will have a common currenfy and policies but it is too early to say.
 

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