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The French Connection: India-France Partnership for the Indo-Pacific Zeitgeist
India’s bilateral relationship with France is on the rise, and a test case for maintaining a distinct trajectory of its own allowing enough elbow room to both countries to practice their respective strategic autonomies. This issue brief by Monish Tourangbam and Mayank Chari analyzes that the partnership between India and France is one of equals based on complementariness of interest and congruence of intent. The complex geo-politics and geo-economics of the Indo-Pacific would require navigating areas of competition, cooperation, and confrontation. The issue brief further argues that New Delhi and Paris are well positioned through their worldviews to lend a sense of pragmatism in the Indo-Pacific, beyond the binary expectations of “either you are with us, or against us”. India and France through their terms of engagements sans entanglements could provide a primer for the webs of new partnerships and alignments in the Indo-Pacific, argues strongly Monish Tourangbam and Mayank Chari.
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What Comes Next for North Korea-Russia Relations?
Gabriela Bernal and Sangsoo Lee review the growing chemistry between Russia and North Korea. They ague that North Korea and Russia have taken their relations to a new level after the leaders of the two countries held an in-person summit meeting last week. While Pyongyang and Moscow have enjoyed close ties since the foundation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1948, the relationship is seeing a significant upgrade. The visit by Kim Jong Un to Russia shows the world that North Korea has more than just China to rely on and, in fact, has its own “bloc” alliance comprising its two closest diplomatic partners. The development is particularly noteworthy in the context of an increasingly strong Japan-South Korea-U.S. trilateral, writes Bernal and Lee.
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Join ISDP: Right now we are looking for interns and a Research Fellow
Are you interested in working in a dynamic and international environment? Right now, we are looking for new team members! The application period for our spring 2024 internships is now open. Specifically, we are looking for interns for our Asia Program, China Center, and Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, supervised by the respective Head of Center/ Program. We have an open position for a Research Fellow at ISDP's Stockholm China Center: Do you have experience in the fields of international relations, global policy or journalism? Do you possess a keen interest in Chinese foreign and security policy? If you are eager to work in a dynamic environment and make a meaningful impact in the policy arena, we warmly invite you to apply!
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India’s Growing Naval Power: Converging Lessons for the Philippine Navy
Joshua Bernard Espeña writes on the rise of India as a maritime power and draws lessons for Philippines. He argues that India’s growing power depends on its reliance on the seas for commerce. The Indian Navy has ambitiously planned to have a 175-ship force by 2035 where most platforms would be indigenized. The Indian Navy also seeks to be capable of operating in both the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions. The Philippines too is stealthily rising as a middle power, yet with so much to prove and improve on its naval preponderance. As India-Philippines defense relations are poised to grow, it is apt to think about the lessons that India’s growing naval power can provide for the Philippine Navy. He further writes that for the Philippine Navy, it must learn all navies’ experiences—big or small—so that it may present itself as a credible tool for the Philippines’ steady middle power preponderance at sea. This is most crucial at a time when it seeks to become a credible regional player with something to contribute to the rules-based order, writes Joshua Bernard Espeña.
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Between BRICS & G20: India & Global South Are a Resolute Match!
Jagannath Panda writes on the rising Indian profile in global affairs. He argues that for India, both the BRICS summit and the G-20 presidency outcomes have become markers of its economic and technological growth; the Global South leadership has been the icing in its cake. India is certainly in a position to act as a gluing agent between the West and the East while championing the concerns of the Global South. Even the state-owned Chinese media has grudgingly accepted that India’s G20 Presidency is gaining worldwide attention, which could “turn this influence into a driving force for growth.” India’s status as one of the fastest-growing economies with a burgeoning young, talented workforce growth; as the first country to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon’s south pole; and its centrality in the emerging Indo-Pacific security architecture (e.g., the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) has only cemented its global profile, writes Panda.
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Amid Reports on Chinese Expansion of Bases, Sri Lanka Unveils SOP: Need for a Reality Check?
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera reviews the success of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in Sri Lanka concerning ports and bases. Analyzing the challenges Sri Lanka faces ahead of the great power politics involving China, India and the U.S., this issue brief by Abeyagoonasekera attempts to analyze the US research reports and documents in assessing the politics that revolves around ports and bases in the Indian Ocean Region. It also examines a few critical questions: how will Sri Lanka maneuver its foreign policy in times to come to face the Chinese expansionist activities? Will India further facilitate space for the U.S., just like in the past establishment of Diego Garcia? What will be the success of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) introduced by the Sri Lankan government due to security sensitivities concerning New Delhi?
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Georgia’s Foreign Policy and Its Alignment with the EU CSFP
Niklas Swanström shares his insights on the debate over Georgia's prospects to become a member of the EU. He argues that for Georgia to become a member of the EU, it has an obligation to prove to Brussels that its economic and democratic institutions are stable. This is something that many current members of the EU still struggle with. But Georgia’s democratic development has been under a significant threat due to the increasing influence of totalitarian states like China and Russia, and Tbilisi’s current swing toward Moscow. This trend not only distances Georgia from its collaboration with the EU and the U.S. but also complicates its chances of becoming a full member – or even a partner – of the EU. Tbilisi’s ties with Russia and active opposition to European values and interests contradict the EU’s core principles, argues Swanström.
Latest Publications
What Comes Next for North Korea-Russia Relations?
North Korea and Russia have taken their relations to a new level after the leaders of the two countries held an in-person summit meeting on Wednesday. While Pyongyang and Moscow […]
Between BRICS & G20: India & Global South Are a Resolute Match!
Even before India took over the presidency of the Group of Twenty – the influential forum of major global economies, popularly called the G-20 – India did not shy away […]
Georgia’s Foreign Policy and Its Alignment with the EU CSFP
For Georgia to become a member of the EU, it has an obligation to prove to Brussels that its economic and democratic institutions are stable. This is something that many […]