Quick takes, analyses and macro-level views on all contemporary economic, financial and political events.
The wolves are full and the sheep, intact — that Russian saying about reconciling seemingly contradictory goals fits the foreign policy challenge before India and Russia, as they renew tried and tested bilateral relations, even as India meshes into the Quad, along with the US, Japan and Australia, to keep the Indo-Pacific tranquil, and Russia draws closer to China.
The challenge is less daunting than it might appear at first blush. As India’s policy shifts from non-aligned to multi-aligned, traditional ties will have to be recast. The past should inform policy, not block its evolution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s two-day visit to India is part of the evolution of what has been a long and time-tested relationship.
That Lavrov’s visit overlapped with that of former US Secretary of State and now Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry encapsulates the transition of India’s foreign policy. The India-Russia relationship must be able to factor in the changing context and requirements of both countries. Russia’s reservations about India participation in the Quad, or India’s concerns about Russia’s cosiness with China, must be understood in context.
Moscow must understand that the changing geopolitical dynamics of the region will find expression in India’s strategic choices. Likewise, New Delhi, too, must factor in the narrowing of choices for Moscow in the face of financial pressures from the West. Yet, the basic fabric of the relationship has not changed. India has stood its ground against US pressure, to drop, for example, India’s purchase of the S-400 missile defence system. Strategic relationships are not zero-sum games; rather, they are partnerships for, rather than against, something. Strategic partnerships with other countries must not be seen as undermining the time-tested India-Russia relationship. The two countries must deepen their partnerships in existing areas of nuclear and space technologies, defence, and add new areas arising out of challenges such as climate change.
Courtesy - The Economic Times.
0 comments:
Post a Comment