The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) that came into being on 6 June 1997, was joined by Nepal in 2004 as a member state. A sub-regional organisation with seven South and Southeast Asian countries, it has an aim to create an enabling environment for rapid economic development; to accelerate social progress; and to promote collaboration on matters of common interest in the Bay of Bengal. In 2004, the members decided to hold the Summit every two years as far as possible, and four Summits have been held in 2004, 2008, 2014 and 2018 so far.
The question that arises is whether countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka will benefit if BIMSTEC is under the shadow of ASEAN and pro-ASEAN members.
‘Definitely a Failure’: China-Mauritius Trade Deal a Setback for India, Says Ex-Navy Officer
Sputnik International
https://sputniknews.com/india/202101121081739297-definitely-a-failure-china-mauritius-fta-a-strategic-setback-for-india-says-ex-navy-officer/
China has granted major concessions to Mauritius helping it to gain access to its market of 1.4 billion people under the new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) whereas India s failure to seal a similar trade pact with the Indian Ocean island will hurt its strategic interests, according to former Indian Navy officer Seshadri Vasan.
The China-Mauritius Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Beijing’s first with any African country, came into effect on 1 January. China has granted major concessions to Mauritius in the access it enjoys to the Chinese market. In return, Beijing is set to get a strategic foothold in Mauritius, which traditionally has enjoyed close economic, military and cultural links with India.
Reclaiming SAARC from the ashes of 2020
Updated:
Updated:
January 13, 2021 00:40 IST
Despite the despondency, the rationale for its existence is intact, and India can use it as a stage for its global ambitions
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Despite the despondency, the rationale for its existence is intact, and India can use it as a stage for its global ambitions
Thirty-six years after it first began, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), appears to be all but dead in the water. The year 2020 marked the sixth year since the leaders of the eight nations that make up SAARC were able to meet. Further evidence of its perilous position, if any was needed, came on the SAARC charter day on December 8, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that India’s position on cross-border terrorism from Pakistan that led New Delhi to refuse to attend the SAARC summit in 2016 in Islamabad, is still in place. This indicates that the grouping, which cannot convene unless al
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An agroforestry system with trees, crops, horticultural crops, livestock and a farmer’s home. Photo: World Agroforestry/ Devashree Nayak
In 2014, India became the first country in the world to adopt a national agroforestry policy. The policy was designed to resolve bottlenecks with other policies on agriculture, forestry, water and environment, recognizing that land use by its very nature must be integrative. Agroforestry is the practice and science of the interface and interactions between agriculture and forestry, involving farmers, livestock, trees and forests at multiple scales. Agroforestry systems have been shown to provide many ecosystem services, helping to reverse environmental damage, while simultaneously improving farmers’ livelihoods.
Reframing India’s foreign policy priorities
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Updated:
January 12, 2021 11:00 IST
Apart from an ideational restructuring, prudent plans, achievable objectives and a line of continuity are a must
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Apart from an ideational restructuring, prudent plans, achievable objectives and a line of continuity are a must
The year 2021 should see a cementing of the many trends that had their genesis in 2020. Leadership change in the United States is perhaps the most awaited change, but is unlikely to bring about a major power shift in the international arena. Even before the changeover, and despite the promise of a Biden presidency to invigorate the U.S.-Europe axis, Europe has turned its back on the U.S. and revived its China links, by ‘concluding in principle the negotiations for an EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment’. In one swift move, Europe has thus shattered all hope that China would remain ostracised in 2021.