SAARC: India excludes Pakistan from a Saarc initiative

[Ashwin]

NEW DELHI: India has excluded Pakistan from the list of Saarc member countries with which it will be connecting its state-of-theartNational Knowledge Network (NKN) for sharing scientific databases and remote access to advanced research facilities.

The government has kicked off the process of appointing a telecom company that will connect and extend the NKN to research and education networks in six South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation member states — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Pakistan is the only Saarc nation that has been left out of this initiative.

India has for long suspended official talks with Pakistan due to continuing terrorist attacks launched by groups from across the border and chill in the relations is now evident in sphere of research cooperation too.

NKN is a multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India's communications infrastructure, stimulates research and creates next generation applications and services. It enables collaboration among researchers from different educational networks such as TEIN4, GARUDA, CERN and Internet2. It also enables sharing of scientific databases and remote access to advanced research facilities.

India has now decided to extend the NKN to the global research and education networks in Saarc nations.

NKN will be connected from Afghanistan to Delhi or Mumbai, from Bangladesh to Kolkata or Delhi, from Bhutan to Kolkata or Delhi, from Nepal to Kolkata or Delhi, from Maldives to Chennai or Mumbai and from Sri Lanka to Chennai or Mumbai. A state-of-the-art management centre and Network Operations Centre will also be set up to run the NKN network. The connection from Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka to India would be through a submarine cable for international connectivity.

With its multi-gigabit capability, NKN aims to connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and agricultural institutions across the country to address such paradigm shift. The leading mission oriented agencies in the fields of nuclear, space and defence research are also part of NKN. To strengthen research facility in various critical and emerging areas for NKN community, the network has established its international points of presence or PoP in Geneva, Amsterdam and Singapore, and plans to soon establish a PoP in New York too.

India excludes Pakistan from a Saarc initiative

 

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PM Modi to visit Bhutan in August
Furthering India's "neighbourhood first" policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bhutan on August 17-18.
This would be Modi's first trip since the Doklam tri-junction military face-off in 2017 which led to heightened tensions between India and China after the Chinese troops intruded into a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.

While no official announcement has been made by New Delhi, Bhutan's prime minister Dr Lotay Tshering confirmed this at a 'meet the press' event on Friday, according to a local newspaper report in Bhutan.
The two sides would be signing some important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during PM Modi's visit.

"The itinerary is not yet confirmed but there are four to five memoranda of understanding to be signed and few major projects to be declared. We are working on the details but it keeps changing," said Dr Tshering.
Bhutan was the first country PM Narendra Modi visited after taking office in 2014, emphasising the importance of this Himalayan nation in India's foreign policy.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar chose Bhutan as his first country to visit after taking oath in May.
Bhutan's premier was one of the leaders invited for the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi in May this year after he won the general elections. As a member of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations, Dr Tshering represented Bhutan at the swearing-in on 30 May.
With China trying to build inroads into Bhutan, India would want to keep this neighbour as close as possible. There already has been an ongoing conversation not only in Beijing but also in Thimphu of opening up diplomatic relations between the two nations.

For India, Bhutan is a key partner where both sides are heavily invested in the relationship. India is looking at many development projects in Bhutan, particularly in the hydro-power sector.

Meanwhile, the local report also stated that Japanese Prince Hisahito of Akishino will also make his first overseas trip to Bhutan which is scheduled next month although the date is not confirmed.

Japan Times stated, "HRH Prince Hisahito, the second inline to the Chrysanthemum Throne is expected to travel to Bhutan in August with his parents, Crown Prince Akishimo and Crown Princess Kiko, in what would be the 12-year-old's first overseas trip."
PM Modi to visit Bhutan in August

 

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How India’s pipelines to Bangladesh, Nepal are changing oil trade dynamics
While the network has secured supplies to Nepal, it may boost trade volumes with Dhaka
In September 2018, India and Bangladesh entered an agreement for a cross-border pipeline to carry one million tonne diesel annually from Siliguri (West Bengal) depot of the Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) to Parbatipur in Bangladesh. One year down the line, the project is gaining speed.

According to sources, the contracts for pipes are already in place and delivery is expected to start from November.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government is expected to notify landowners for right-of-way for the underground line. Of the 130-km long pipeline only six km is in India. The West Bengal government has already ensured the right of way. India is offering ₹303 crore financial assistance in completing the project that will largely meet the diesel requirements of northern parts of Bangladesh.

Bangladesh imported 4.8 mt of diesel in 2017-18. This includes 1-1.5 lakh kilolitre supplies by rail from India beginning 2016. In the absence of pipeline infrastructure, diesel is distributed mostly by river to the oil bunkers.

Oil diplomacy
The pipeline supply will therefore bring in major logistical change in auto-fuel distribution in Bangladesh. India is fast establishing pipeline network in the region. The beginning was made with Nepal as Delhi completed construction of 69-km Motihari (Bihar)-Amlekhigunj (Nepal) early this month.

The project was completed in half the scheduled time, eliminating roughly 1,000-1,200 road tankers which were earlier congesting the roads of Raxaul (Bihar) and Birgunj (Nepal). But more importantly, it ended a long pending political irritant.

During the 2015 Madhesi stir in southern Nepal, the protestors blocked the trading gate to cut off oil supplies. Nepal in turn blamed India for stopping the oil supplies. With oil now delivered 30 km inside Nepal and at a lower cost, the political narrative between the two countries is set to change.

POL exports
With Nepal dependent on Indian supplies for petroleum products naturally the Moti-Hari-Amlekhigunj pipeline will not have any impact on trade volume. But the reverse is true for Bangladesh. Petroleum products already started occupying space in the bilateral trade and its importance will increase in the days to come.

With Indian refiners exploring markets in the entire neighbourhood, oil and oil pipelines are set to gain prominence in the future.
How India’s pipelines to Bangladesh, Nepal are changing oil trade dynamics

 

[Gautam]

Neighbourhood-first: India helps Maldives and Bangladesh light up their streets

2 min read . Updated: 04 Oct 2019, 08:55 AM IST Utpal Bhaskar

• The South Asia-focused neighbourhood-first policy is an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• India has been supplying power to Bangladesh and Nepal and has also been championing a global electricity grid

India has been playing a key role in creating a new energy ecosystem

New Delhi: As part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's playbook of creating a new energy security architecture for its neighbours, India has installed smart LED (light-emitting diode) streetlights in Maldives and Bangladesh; under the aegis of India’s ministry of external affairs (MEA).

These strategic projects undertaken by state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will help Maldives and Bangladesh illuminate their streets, reduce their peak electricity demand, help in energy savings and reduce carbon dioxide emission. The South Asia-focused neighbourhood-first policy is an initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a cornerstone of his government’s foreign policy.

“We have just completed the entire Male street lights. Recently we did a joint investment in Maldives for around 2500 street lights. We are doing this with MEA," Saurabh Kumar, managing director of EESL told Mint.

India has been trying to draw the strategically situated archipelago deeper into its orbit, away from the embrace of strategic rival China. Ties between India and the Maldives have altered dramatically especially after the election of Ibrahim Mohammed Solih as president in September. This came after tensions between India and the Maldives over the latter’s close ties with India’s strategic rival China during the tenure of Solih’s predecessor Abdullah Yameen.

India has been playing a key role in creating a new energy ecosystem with some of its neighbours to counter China’s Belt and Road initiative that is aimed at connecting countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe. India has been supplying power to Bangladesh and Nepal and has also been championing a global electricity grid that may initially aim to link countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam with the sub-continent.

“So we have done a bit of work under a MEA grant in Bangladesh. It was a small project involving 500 street lights. Now we are trying to push in South East Asia—Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia," Kumar added.

This comes in the backdrop of Bangladesh’ prime minister Sheikh Hasina’ ongoing visit to India. Ties between the two countries have shown remarkable warmth and growth since India’s parliament ratified the 1974 land boundary pact in 2015 and the two countries signed a fresh agreement. Bangladesh is the recipient of $ 8 billion in lines of credit from India in the past seven years — the largest amount in lines of credit extended to any country by India.

India’ energy diplomacy initiatives range from cross-border electricity trade to supplying petroleum products and setting up liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Apart from building power projects in Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, India already has power grid links with Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh, and plans to develop power transmission links with Sri Lanka.

EESL is leading India’s ambitious energy efficiency programme that seeks to reduce carbon emissions as part of the country’s climate change goals.

As part of India’s strategy to combat climate change, EESL commissioned one crore smart LED streetlights across the country under the world’s largest streetlight replacement programme, thereby helping avoid 1,119.40 megawatt (MW) of peak electricity demand. These streetlights are illuminating 2.7 lakh km of roads, resulting in annual energy savings of 6.71 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) and helping reduce 4.63 million tons of carbon dioxide emission.

Neighbourhood-first: India helps Maldives and Bangladesh light up their streets

 

[Gautam]

"Entire Neighbourhood, Minus One...": Foreign Minister's Jab At Pakistan

S Jaishankar was responding to a question at a session of the World Economic Forum in New Delhi.

All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: October 04, 2019 18:20 IST

"The neighbourhood, minus one, had actually been a fairly good story of regional cooperation," he said.

New Delhi : In an obvious reference to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said India's entire neighbourhood "minus one" has been a "fairly good story" for regional cooperation. The abrogation of Article 370 provisions did come up for discussion in his meetings during the recent US visit, Mr Jaishankar added at a session of the India Economic Summit in New Delhi.

"That is natural for many people when there is a change of status...," he said during a conversation with World Economic Forum president Borge Brende.

Mr Jaishankar said he "spoke fairly extensively" in the US on the Kashmir issue -- on the background, history, "why we did, what we did" -- and asserted that a lot of it was new to the people he discussed the matter with.

"Hardly anybody had the realisation that this (Article 370) was a temporary article in the Constitution or the misalignment due to the fact that a lot of the national laws did not apply in Jammu and Kashmir state. These were all new things to them," Mr Jaishankar said.

Discussing India's push for strengthening of ties with its neighbours, the minister said, "I would say the entire neighbourhood, minus one, has actually been a fairly good story of regional cooperation."

Asked if the impasse with ''minus one'' would continue, he said he hopes that someday even the ''minus one'' comes around to regional cooperation.

"You put Kashmir aside for a moment...Today, with everybody else, trade, business, connectivity and contacts are increasing. Surely, at some stage, that would have an impact because you would see everybody else prospering with that cooperation," the External Affairs minister said.

"I always remain hopeful. I'm not unrealistic, I know we have big challenges. They (Pakistan) have a mindset issue that they have to overcome," Mr Jaishankar said.

The two-day India Economic Summit, which ended on Friday, was organised by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Mr Jaishankar said there is no doubt that the world has become more nationalistic, and a lot of that nationalism is economic nationalism and cultural nationalism.

In India's case, nationalism is not a negative sentiment directed at the world, he said.

"India is an exception as we are more nationalistic, but at the same time we don't see a tension between being nationalistic and being international in the sense of engaging more with the world... so nationalism is not a negative sentiment," he said.

Asked about the possibility of a trade agreement between India and the US, he said it is not that easy as it is a "fairly complicated matter". So if it is taking time it is fine, the minister added.

Talking about South Asia cooperation, Mr Jaishankar said, "The Indian subcontinent is among the least regionalised economies. PM Modi feels we need to do something about this and the Indian economy is a lifting tide for this. You saw that politically when he invited neighbouring countries at his swearing in ceremony in 2014."

"Entire Neighbourhood, Minus One...": Foreign Minister's Jab At Pakistan

 

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India-Pakistan Enmity Main Reason Why SAARC is Not Prospering, Says Bangladesh FM

Bangladesh foreign minister's remarks comes following India and Pakistan blaming each other over the lack of cooperation and coordination among the SAARC member states earlier this month.

By PTI
Updated:December 24, 2019, 4:29 PM IST

Image for representation. (Reuters)

Dhaka: Enmity between India and Pakistan is one of the main reasons why SAARC is not prospering, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen has said, while expressing optimism about other regional initiatives such as the BIMSTEC and the BBIN.

His remarks comes following India and Pakistan blaming each other over the lack of cooperation and coordination among the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states earlier this month.

Momen, while interacting with a group of foreign journalists at the closing ceremony of 'Visit Nepal-Bangladesh Programme-2019' hosted by the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry here, said the prosperity of the SAARC was being obstructed by the enmity between India and Pakistan.

"You know why SAARC is not prospering, one main reason is the enmity between India and Pakistan, but BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) should do better. We have to work harder and in that process things should work better," he said.

Momen also emphasised that Bangladesh's ties with its neighbours such as Nepal and Bhutan were also on an upswing. He said, nowadays, whenever Bangladesh talks to India, Nepal and Bhutan issues are also discussed.

His remarks on SAARC comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's efforts for greater collaboration among the SAARC countries have repeatedly been challenged with threats and acts of terrorism.

In a letter to the SAARC secretariat to mark the founding day of the eight-member bloc, the prime minister said all countries in the region should take effective steps to defeat the scourge of terrorism and the forces which support it, an oblique reference to Pakistan.

Such efforts, he said, would generate greater trust and confidence to build a stronger SAARC.

In the last three years, India has been distancing itself from the SAARC, citing security challenge facing the region from terror networks based in Pakistan, which is also a member of the grouping.

On his part, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his message on the 35th SAARC Charter Day on December 8, expressed the hope that the hiatus created in SAARC's continuous progression would be removed.

A few days later, Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said all South Asian countries except one want to hold the SAARC summit, which was called off in 2016, at the earliest, an apparent reference to India.

The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu, which was attended by Modi.

The 2016 SAARC summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to "prevailing circumstances".

The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet.

SAARC summits are usually held biennially and hosted by member states in alphabetical order. The member state hosting the summit assumes the Chair of the Association.

On December 8, 1985 at the first SAARC Summit in Dhaka, the leaders of the seven South Asian states - the Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - signed a charter to establish the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Afghanistan became the eight SAARC member in 2007.

India-Pakistan Enmity Main Reason Why SAARC is Not Prospering, Says Bangladesh FM

 

[Gautam]

Can Nepal’s ‘Sagarmatha’ Dialogue Help Revive SAARC ?

January 24, 2020

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali (centre) addressing a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday. (Photo: PradeepgyawaliK)

NEW DELHI: Far fetched it may appear but given the frosty state of bilateral relations will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan meet three months from now? Or will they choose to ignore each other even if they share the stage at the inaugural ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ (Mt Everest Dialogue) to be hosted by Nepal in April.

The tantalising possibility of a Modi-Khan meeting arose when Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali told journalists in Kathmandu on Friday that his country will invite leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) for the ‘sambaad’ to be held from April 2 to 4. It will be a biennial event, a multi-stakeholder dialogue forum that will deliberate on the most prominent issues of global, regional and national significance. The theme of the inaugural dialogue is ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’.

But the announcement of the ‘sambaad’ was only a teaser. Gyawali said Nepal was keen on handing over the SAARC chairmanship to Pakistan, something it has been unable to do with the eight member sub-regional grouping moribund since late 2016. A SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November 2016 was cancelled following an India-led boycott after the terror strike on an army camp in Uri.

It’s the stalled SAARC process which appears to bother Nepal the most. Kathmandu has held the SAARC chair since hosting the summit in 2014. “Nepal is ready and in a hurry to hand over the chairmanship of SAARC,” Gyawali said. “We have been carrying this baggage for the last four years and we want to have a SAARC summit at the earliest.”

Earlier, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has more than once said the sub-regional group needs to be revived and made effective.

Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, who is with the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, when asked about Nepal’s push for SAARC’s revival, told StratNews Global: “As per the SAARC mandate, no bilateral contentious issues are to be discussed. The issues between India and Pakistan are bilateral in nature.”

Prof Lama, who is also a member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on India-Nepal relations, said that the onus of handing over the baton is with Nepal but it finds itself in a situation where a SAARC summit is nowhere on the horizon, so the chairmanship cannot be handed over.

Stating that Nepal’s position on SAARC is right, Prof Lama said the possibility of Indian and Pak PM’s meeting during the ‘sambaad’ cannot be discounted. Noting that New Delhi also plans to invite Khan for the heads of government summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in New Delhi later this year, Prof. Lama said: “It means that India is keeping its options open with regard to Pakistan.”

While India has a range of options bilaterally vis a vis Pakistan, SAARC is on the back burner because of Islamabad constantly raising bilateral issues. There is, therefore, little appetite in Delhi’s South Block to restore a platform that Pakistan will twist for its own purposes. Whether Nepal likes it or not, it will remain SAARC chairman for the foreseeable future.

Can Nepal’s ‘Sagarmatha’ Dialogue Help Revive SAARC? – Strategic News Global

 

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India speeds up connectivity projects in south Asia
India is increasing the pace of its regional connectivity projects in South Asia. Last one week saw projects being announced or completed in three south Asian counties -- Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh -- with the main focus being faster movement of people and goods, and also to generate employment.

The Maldives will see the expansion of Hanimaadhoo airport under the Indian line of credit. The line of credit was announced during Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's state visit to India in December 2018. This was his first foreign visit after the election victory that year.

India's Airports Authority of India (AAI) will make a Detailed Project Report for the project and as soon as connectivity is established, the Indian mission in the Maldives is expected to get an AAI team to visit the site.

The project will include an extension of the runway from 1200 to 2200 MTS and a new terminal building. The project will be key for the economic development of the northern Maldives with increased connectivity which will further boost tourism.

With Bhutan, earlier this week a new trade route was opened from West Bengal's Jaigaon to Ahlay, Pasakha in Bhutan. The new land route for movement of industrial raw materials and goods destined for Pasakha Industrial Estate in Bhutan is expected to not only boost bilateral trade & commerce but also lead to decongestion of vehicular traffic along the Jaigaon-Phuentsholing route.

Indian envoy to Bhutan Ruchira Kamboj speaking on the opening of the Land Customs station said, “We are very pleased to provide temporary access through Ahllay for the movement of heavy vehicles and trucks from India into Bhutan."

Meanwhile, on Thursday, India's Minister of State (MoS) for Shipping Mansukh Mandaviya digitally flagged off the first trial container ship from Kolkata to Agartala through Bangladesh port of Chattogram. The new route will reduce time and logistics cost for cargo movement and connect North-East India to Bangladeshi ports.

Speaking at the virtual flagging ceremony, Mandaviya said, "It is a historic move to utilise Bangladeshi ports of Chattogram and Mongla for movement of India’s transit cargo" and "will be a new chapter in India-Bangladesh maritime relations."

The consignment after reaching Chattogram will move to Agartala on Bangladeshi trucks. The consignment of the trial containers includes two TEUs carrying TMT steel bars destined for West Tripura district and two TEUs carrying pulses destined for Karimganj, Assam.

During the visit of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in October 2019, both sides had reached an understanding on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India.

India is already working on several other projects in the region. Last year saw Jaffna international airport in Sri Lanka being opened that connected it to Southern Indian metropolis of Chennai.

India speeds up connectivity projects in south Asia

Last one week saw projects being announced or completed in three south Asian counties -- Maldives, Bhutan and Bangladesh -- with the main focus being the faster movement of people and goods, and also to generate employment.

www.dnaindia.com

 

[RISING SUN]

Two Afghan trucks enter India for 1st time after Pak allows transit
Amritsar Six days after Pakistan announced the resumption of Afghan exports to India through the Attari-Wagah border to facilitate transit trade, the first consignment of goods crossed over to India in two trucks on Saturday. All covid-19 related protocols were followed. “Two trucks of licorice (mulethi) entered the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, on Saturday,” said a senior Customs official in Amritsar.

“We had information that seven-eight trucks of Afghan goods would enter India, and we had made arrangements accordingly,” said a senior official of the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), which oversees the ICP’s affairs.

Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association president Anil Mehra said, “Pakistan has deliberately been creating hurdles in Afghan export to India. After a two-month long hiatus, Indian authorities allowed Afghan exports in the last week of May. The Pakistan government has also not been allowing movement of goods from Pakistan’s Chaman and Torkham borders with Afghanistan. Trade is victim of cheap politics of Pakistan.” The ICP usually sees an annual trade of around Rs 7,000 crore and Rs 1,000 crore with Afghanistan and Pakistan, respectively.

Mehra added that besides allowing hurdle-free entry of Afghan exports to India, Pakistan should also consider the opening of trade with India from the Wagah border. Pakistan had shut trade with India and stopped operations of the Samjhauta Express after the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

India had suspended trade activities at the border on March 13 as a precautionary measure, against the covid-19 outbreak. Following this, Pakistan had also closed its border with India. Indian authorities had resumed suspended activities with covid-linked precautions on May 28, but Pakistan did not reciprocate. Two Afghan trucks, which had been stranded before the closure of the border, entered India on May 28.

Truck drivers and porters hope for resumption of their livelihood. “We hear that 20-25 trucks a day will enter from Afghanistan once trade resumes fully. Thousands of porters and truck drivers hope to get back their jobs then. Trade with Pakistan must also open,” said Amarjit Singh Shinda, president, Truck Drivers’ Union, at Attari.

Two Afghan trucks enter India for 1st time after Pak allows transit

Traders say that besides allowing hurdle-free entry of Afghan exports, Pakistan should also consider the opening of trade with India from the Wagah border

www.hindustantimes.com

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1309415898675998720

 

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SAARC: Ministers’ meet called off as Pakistan wants Taliban at table

Pakistan is learnt to have proposed that a Taliban representative should also be part of the meeting.

indianexpress.com

 

[RISING SUN]

India reaches out, leaders of Bimstec could attend Republic Day 2022​

Efforts are on to have leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) countries in New Delhi for the Republic Day celebrations next year, it is learnt.

Besides India, the seven-nation subregional grouping includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. Leaders of Bimstec attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in at the beginning of his second term in May 2019, but there have been changes of leadership in some of these countries since then.

Sources told The Indian Express that South Block is in close touch with the leaders of these countries and their offices for confirmation of their availability. Feelers have been sent through the “appropriate channels”, the sources said — and the guest list for Republic Day will be announced once the confirmations are received.

As per protocol, the letter of invitation goes out only after the availability of the foreign leader has been confirmed.

Extending an invitation to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade carries great symbolic importance from the perspective of the Indian government. New Delhi’s choice of chief guest every year is dictated by a number of reasons — strategic and diplomatic concerns, business interests, and international geopolitics.

India is hoping that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepal, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering of Bhutan, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha of Thailand, and the Chairman of Myanmar’s State Administration Council, General Min Aung Hlaing, will attend the Republic Day celebrations.

This will be the first opportunity for the Indian leadership to engage directly with Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in February this year. In 2019, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar had different leaders. Bangladesh had sent President Mohammed Abdul Hamid for Modi’s swearing-in.

The sources cautioned, however, that with the Covid-19 pandemic not yet over, an element of uncertainty remains, and there is a possibility of last-minute cancellations of plans.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had to cancel his visit to India for the Republic Day celebrations this year due to the raging pandemic in his country. India had no chief guest for Republic Day in January 2021.

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil was chief guest in 2020, and in 2019, after the invitation to then United States President Donald Trump did not work out, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was invited as chief guest.

Ten leaders from Asean countries attended Republic Day in 2018, and in the preceding years, the chief guests were the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2017), French President Francois Hollande (2016), and US President Barack Obama (2015).

New Delhi’s engagement with Bimstec rose from the ashes of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc). In October 2016, following the terrorist attack in Uri the previous month, India gave a renewed push to rejuvenate the grouping that had then existed for almost two decades, but had been largely ignored. Alongside the BRICS summit in Goa, Modi hosted an outreach summit with Bimstec leaders.

That year, some Bimstec countries supported New Delhi’s call for a boycott of the Saarc summit scheduled in Islamabad in November 2016. The summit was postponed, and India claimed victory in isolating Pakistan, having accused that country of carrying out the Uri attack.

Bimstec offered a regional platform at which five of the eight member states of Saarc could gather to discuss sub-regional cooperation. India had long felt that the vast potential of Saarc was being underutilised, and opportunities were being lost due to the lack of response and/or the obstructionist approach from Pakistan.

India’s search for an alternative to Saarc had been evident at the 2014 Saarc summit in Kathmandu, where Modi had said opportunities must be realised “through SAARC or outside it”, and “among us all or some of us”. That was an important signal to Pakistan, as well as other Saarc states.

Two years after the BRICS-Bimstec outreach summit and the Bimstec leaders’ retreat, the fourth Bimstec summit was held in Kathmandu in September 2018. It was only the fourth summit of the grouping in 21 years, but the outcome was considered comprehensive — covering ground from the blue economy to counter-terrorism.

The Bay of Bengal is the world’s largest bay. Over a fifth (22%) of the world’s population lives in the seven countries around it, which have a combined GDP of close to $2.7 trillion.

The seven Bimstec countries were able to sustain average annual rates of economic growth between 3.4% and 7.5% from 2012 to 2016. The Bay of Bengal has vast untapped natural resources, and a fourth of the world’s traded goods cross the bay every year.

The original Bimstec grouping formed in 1997 had Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and came to include Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan later. Two Bimstec nations, Thailand and Myanmar, are also part of Asean, and the Bay of Bengal grouping forms a bridge between South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The Bay of Bengal, a funnel to the Malacca straits, has emerged as a key theatre for an increasingly assertive China, which is keen to ensure its access to the Indian Ocean remains unimpeded. Beijing has undertaken a massive drive to finance and develop infrastructure in South and Southeast Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative in almost all Bimstec countries, except India and Bhutan.

As China steps up submarine movements and ship visits in the Indian Ocean, it is important for India to consolidate engagement with Bimstec countries as part of its broader Indo-Pacific strategy.

India reaches out, leaders of Bimstec could attend Republic Day 2022

Besides India, the seven-nation subregional grouping includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan. Leaders of Bimstec attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in at the beginning of his second term in May 2019.

indianexpress.com

 

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