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Modi, Abe, Merkel, Rousseff Together: G4 to Meet on UN Sidelines ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Ankit Panda)

G-4 Summit ( Image source- Flickr / Credits- MEA Official gallery) Source- The Diplomat Author- Ankit Panda What do Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan have in common? Though geographically disparate, each of these states seeks permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council and has the economic and political heft to make its bid not entirely unrealistic. Additionally, each member of this so-called G4 group of states supports each other’s bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council. This week, on the sidelines of the 70th United Nations General Assembly, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will convene the group for the first time in more than ten years at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will be in attendance. Security Council reform has been a tricky topic for the United Nations. Though most member states agree that the UNSC is anachr

FULL SPEECH PM Modi at the United Nations General Assembly Focus News

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China's 'Silk Road' Initiative Is at Risk of Failure ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Moritz Rudolf)

China- Kazakhstan border ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Yaohua 2000) Source- The Diplomat Author- Moritz Rudolf The Silk Road Initiative is the major project for Chinese President Xi Jinping. On every state visit and within every diplomatic forum, he has promoted his idea of “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR). Beijing wants to create China-centered infrastructure networks in order to expand its own economic and political influence in Eurasia. But the time when the country was able to make economically unprofitable investments on the basis of political motives is long gone. Beijing had intended to invest more than $900 billion in infrastructure expansion in Eurasia. However, the money is now needed to stabilize its stagnating economy and nervous financial markets. China‘s currency reserves decreased drastically in August. Due to financing difficulties a number of infrastructure projects have come to a standstill. For example, the gas pipeline known as “Power

Why Chinese Nationalism Could Impact the East and South China Seas very Differently ( Source- National Interest / Author- Allen R. Carlson)

Image credits- Wikimedia Commons / Author- United States Navy Source- National Interest Author- Allen R. Carlson If we are sliding into a new era of great power conflict between China and the United States, then the front lines of such a struggle will clearly be located in maritime Asia.  It is here where Beijing appears to be intent on more actively asserting its claims to contested territory in the East and South China Seas. Not surprisingly, China’s neighbors, particularly Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, have strenuously objected to these moves.  So far Washington has avoided being directly dragged into such confrontations.  However, should shots be fired over Asia’s troubled waters America will be find it difficult not to get involved. There is a great deal at stake in both the East and South China Seas, not only for those competing over these spaces, but also for the United States. It is crucial to understand why the situation there has become so fraught

New Design for the blog

For ease of use and uncluttered access for our viewers, we are moving to the next generation of dynamic design. We are in the process of redesigning this blog and will be back soon with a new face. In the meanwhile, continue to visit us for the latest articles and information. Thank you for vising us Web Master

The Soviet Union's Lethal MiG-25 Foxbat: A Business Jet? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Michael Peck)

Source-Wikimedia Commons / Author- Dmitry A. Mottl Source- The National Interest Author- Michael Peck The Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat was one of the most famous fighters of the Cold War. A big, powerful, twin-engine interceptor that could fly faster than Mach 3 and 70,000 feet, the Foxbat set several speed and altitude records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The MiG-25 shocked Western nations accustomed to thinking of Soviet jets as cheap, expendable and inferior. Indeed, the MiG-25 spurred the development of a new generation of American fighters such as the F-15 (not to mention inspiring a bad Clint Eastwood movie). But had things turned out differently, instead of carrying guns and missiles, the MiG-25 would have carried stewardesses, vodka, and some lucky passengers on the ride of their life. In the early 1960s, the MiG design bureau proposed turning the MiG-25 into the world's first supersonic business jet. Instead of rude Aeroflot flight attendants on dec

Will China and Russia’s Partnership in Central Asia Last? ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- Tao Wang and Rachel Yampolsky)

Image credits-Wikimedia Commons Source- The Diplomat Author- Tao Wang and Rachel Yampolsky Leaders in Beijing and Moscow have both been making a concerted effort to extend their connections with Central Asia in recent months. In July, Russia hosted the latest BRICS summit as well as a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Ufa near the border with Kazakhstan. Earlier, in May, on his fifth visit to Russia since becoming president, President Xi Jinping reached an agreement with President Vladimir Putin to coordinate China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in Central Asia. While both countries have clear economic incentives to cooperate in this region in the short term, they will need to overcome a number of hurdles to set their partnership on a path that can be sustained further into the future. In the past year, Russia and its Central Asian neighbors have faced sobering economic challenges. Russia’s G

India and the emerging geopolitics of Asia- Pacific

Credits- Flickr / MEA Official image, Government of India " In International relations, there are no permanent friends nor permanent enemies, but only permanent national interests":- So they say in international relations. Nothing exemplifies this more than the emerging geopolitics of Asia-Pacific. There is indeed a tectonic  shift in relations and serious realignment taking place as we speak.  History of Indian Foreign relations After gaining independence, India chose the path of non alignment with a tilt to the socialistic policies emphasizing left leaning politics. This ensured that India cultivated closer relations with the USSR which for the time payed rich dividends for India. Russia was the chief source from which India procured vital and high tech weapon systems and also the USSR had been instrumental in protecting Indian national interests in international forums like the United Nations. They also helped India at the time of national crisis like the

Su-35s for Pak: Pie in the sky ( Source- Russia & India Report / Author- Rakesh Krishnan Simha)

Sukhoi SU-35 ( Image source- Wikimedia Commons / Author- Vitaly Kuzmin) Source- Russia & India Report Author- Rakesh Krishnan Simha Is Russia planning to win friends in Pakistan and lose influence in India? If Russia sells the advanced Su-35 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, it is likely to lead to a major diplomatic rift with India. So why did Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov make the statement that Russia and Pakistan were “negotiating for the delivery of an unspecified number of Su-35 jets” to Islamabad? The best case scenario is that Russia is keen to ensure India’s return to its fold. As India enters into an increasing number of defence partnerships with Russia’s rivals, particularly Israel and the US, but also France and the UK, Moscow believes two can play the game. It is in this backdrop that Russia has entered into a defence cooperation agreement with Pakistan. Another reason could be that the judgement of some Kremlin players is clouded by the pres

Chinese Aircraft Carriers: A Nightmare for the U.S. Navy? ( Source- The National Interest / Author- Dave Majumdar)

Image credits- United States Navy Source- The National Interest Author- Dave Majumdar In the decades since the end of the Second World War, the U.S. Navy’s carrier strike groups have been the dominant force across the world’s oceans. Even the Soviet Union never really managed to challenge the U.S. Navy’s mastery of the seas. But as of late, there is growing concern that China’s People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) may be stepping up to the plate. The Soviets mainly focused their efforts on a “sea denial” strategy using a combination of Backfire bombers, submarines and surface combatant armed with long-range anti-ship missiles. The People’s Republic of China also seemed to be focusing purely on developing an anti-access strategy using similar methodology. But like the Soviets toward the end of the Cold War, the Chinese seem to be intent on developing a blue water surface fleet that might one day be able to challenge the U.S. Navy on the high seas. Picking up wh

The Nine Ironies of the South China Sea Mess ( Source- The Diplomat / Author- James Kraska)

Image credits- Flickr/ United States Navy Source- The Diplomat Author- James Kraska Since 2009, when China asked the secretary-general of the United Nations to circulate its nine-dashed line claim to the community of nations, the world has stood in bewilderment at Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea. Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines have the most to lose over China’s gambit, and the disparity in power between them and China leaves them confounded and stunned – and privately, apoplectic. China’s policies have created a dangerous mess in the South China Sea. The irony is palpably bitter on nine distinct levels. Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines hold the key to the best chance to fix the mess. The first irony is that during negotiations for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the developing states reluctantly ceded freedom of navigation through straits and in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for exclusive offshore resource rights. Malaysia