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The Russia-China partnership has grown steadily in the past decade, driven by Moscow’s widening rift with the European Union. As Western markets closed to Russia in 2014, Beijing emerged as an economic partner, importing Russian energy, defence goods, metals and minerals, timber, and other natural resources and exporting manufactured goods, technology, and dual-use goods. The partnership reached new heights following Russia’s invasion of Ukra

Recent steps forward on the trade front have also cleared the way for greater ambition in the partnership

Separatism, extremism, and terrorism originating in Afghanistan compelled the neighbouring countries to form the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2001. However, instead of presenting a united front, the SCO is rife with disagreements. Increased divergences and mistrust among the members have helped the Taliban regain power in Afghanistan and strengthen its influence in the heart of Eurasia. The Taliban have taken advantage of the trust

The more the communal picture changes since the demolition of the Babri Masjid 20 years ago this week, the more it remains the same. Possibly with one variation: the political insecurity of the Muslim grows with each turn.

Donald Trump is now arguing that India should be viewed as part of a solution to the Afghan imbroglio

That Trump travelled to India without any substantive deliverable is the real story here

The intent of BIMSTEC member states to push forth with a bold vision for the region was evident at the 2nd Foreign Ministers’ Retreat

It can happen in the hurly-burly of politics that a flood of images abruptly wells up to the naked eye and demands attention so that we do not miss out on an entire slice of politics breaking away to get transmuted as current history.

The first few weeks of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's tenure has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity. The steps taken by him in the foreign policy domain give a clear indication of the new government's priorities.

This paper outlines the responses of the US Congress and European Union (EU) parliament to the Indian government’s abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and the surrounding events, including the communications lockdown in Kashmir. It notes contrasting responses: the US Congress showed a binary reaction of moderate and extreme calls to action, and the EU parliament honed a more expansive approach to address India’s apparent “democrat

Russia's response to new missile defence plans of the US points to Moscow's continued distrust of Washington. However, Moscow and Washington have announced a meeting to discuss the new missile deployment plans in Moscow in late May this year. Perhaps, a breakthrough is still possible.

The two countries’ geopolitical compulsions, especially regarding containing china in the indo-pacific, have translated into closer trade ties

America’s global hegemony is the sum total of its domination in various regions of the world like Europe, Middle East, or East Asia. Today when the Americans look at East Asia, they see a hugely enriched and militarily powerful China increasingly challenging them.

Manoj Joshi, “A Survey of India-US Defence Cooperation,” ORF Special Report No. 224, March 2024, Observer Research Foundation.

India has been witnessing rapid urbanisation in the last decade, particularly in its large and medium-size cities. As more and more people move towards cities and towns, it is imperative to build an understanding of how cities are geared in terms of growth and inclusion. In what ways do India's marginalised communities get excluded from the country's growing urban spaces? This paper studies how individuals and groups are included in􀀳or exclude

The tariff war is not the only issue hindering cooperation. Differences over Taiwan and the South China Sea, the basic lack of trust in the relationship is acting as a dampener across the board.

The SDG index is a better alternative to the World Bank’s parameters as it takes a holistic view of development

The trends emerging from Odisha and Chhattisgarh following the latest kidnappings of popular officials confirm to a certain global pattern - desperation leads to unpopular acts. These measures suggest they become considerably weaker and are making desperate attempts to wage easy propaganda.

In an era of Asian strategic uncertainties and global power transition, India-Japan defence and security linkages have become particularly significant.

Pointing out that the problem for an upcoming Indian defence industry is in the basics, experts suggest that a refinement of processes in conducting business and procurement would go a long way.

With India and Russia having a common interest in Afghanistan’s stability, the ensuing big power competition, which is pushing Moscow into a tight Chinese economic embrace, is increasingly turning out to be a challenge.

Erosion in the international consensus on rebuilding the country must be reversed before it’s too late

The change in leadership in Kabul has provided a new opportunity for the US and Afghanistan to work together. Media reports suggesting a larger role for the United States post-2014 than originally envisaged have been doing the rounds for the better part of the past six months.

As foreign troops begin to leave Afghanistan, criticism of the international coalition's handling of the war has been pouring in from all corners. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for People and Press showed that a majority of the public does not think the US has achieved its goals in Afghanistan.

Much has already been written about both the drawdown of US troops from the region, and the recent Iranian nuclear deal and the possible impact it could have on Iran-US relations.

The recent US decision to suspend training of Afghan local police has underlined the growing worries in Washington over the incidents of Afghan soldiers killing American troops in 2012.

Prospects for agriculture in Africa took a huge boost as more than 30 billion USD in investments to expedite the transformation was extended.

Vision of a peaceful, united and prosperous Africa set out in Agenda 2063 could be achieved through sound planning and other roundups

India will have to learn the fine art of staring down the dragon to preserve its political space, while embracing China for some important economic opportunities. At Doklam, it did the former; will a different India turn up at BRICS?

Modi’s remarks aimed to put across an India that was ready to synchronise itself with the Trump administration’s goals, but the US president made it clear he wanted India to commit to “free and fair trade”.

In the domain of water cooperation between India and Pakistan, maybe it is important to look at actors beyond the Ministry of Water Resources. Greater cooperation between the farming communities could be one more logical step towards building a substantial peace constituency in Pakistan.

Modi needs to emphatically clear the air to control the ramifications of Trump’s prattling.

It would be unwise to expect that Trump’s tweet represents a major policy shift. That Pakistan has been playing the US on the issue of support to the Taliban is no secret. If anything, Trump’s remarks are a manifestation of American frustration in getting Pakistan to behave.

The Poonch incident two weeks ago and in Uri indicate there is no fight left in the militants in the Valley.

China has been cracking down on US companies for a while and the pressure has intensified after revelations that many of them have collaborated with the NSA to spy on the Internet. Google is virtually persona non grata in China now, as are Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

The viability and dynamism of the developing world's agriculture sector remains essential to secure success in the developing world's poverty alleviation strategies. The next ministerial at Bali in December must ensure pressure remains on developed nations to meet the aspirations of developing countries with regards to the global agriculture trade.

What India can learn from its recent successes in extradition, is to see the best practices it adopted, and implement it in its pending extradition requests.

China has criticized the latest round of new rules by saying that it will “disrupt the international semiconductor market as well as cooperation among enterprises.”