SCO’s original mandate since 2001 has been to fight against terrorism and it has a robust tool in its kit for cooperation among members under the aegis of RATS. However, Pakistan has not only sheltered and supported large number of terrorists but has also used them against India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on two highly important State visits to the US and Egypt-- India’s strategic partners, this week. While the US is the Global Comprehensive Strategic Partner of India the relationship with Cairo acquired the historic heft yet again during the visit of President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi as a Chief Guest at the 74th Republic Day of India a few months before. The Indian Prime Minister is scheduled for a state visit to Egypt on June 24-25, upon the invitation of President Sisi.
Given Beijing’s constant disregard for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of its regional neighbours, along with its growing disapproval of the established rules-based order, the makings of a new security arrangement seem to have emerged on the sidelines of the Shangri La Forum in Singapore early this month to address these very challenges.
Recently, I happened to attend the 6th Indian Ocean conference ,2023 in Dhaka which was organized by the India Foundation in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs of India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh among others.
West Asia has a tremendous innate capacity to spring surprises despite being a highly volatile region. Of late there has been a greater interest among major regional powers to consciously tone down the rhetoric and differences and work on aligning the common areas of interest through expanding reproachment.
From all estimates and analyses it is abundantly clear that President Recep Tayep Erdogan was able to successfully overcome his detractors, his administration’s failures especially in dealing with the worst earthquakes and relief coordination and accusations of democracy deficit and indulgence in autocracy let alone the economic crisis and ultra-Islamism.