By: Kunal Chonkar
From a bold outreach to West Asia, to countering China with help from the US, and taking a much-needed aggressive stance towards Pakistan. India under Prime Minister Modi adjusted its diplomatic compass with vigor in 2019.
New Delhi: The strategy set in the last quarter of 2018 to shed its reticence and embrace multiple state’s has paid rich diplomatic dividends to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019. India, under Prime Minister Modi, has successfully bagged three wins in the international community in 2019.
The first, adopting a no-nonsense approach towards combating terrorism – which was announced by the surgical strike on terrorist camps at Balakot in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In second place comes the moment when the Prime Minister stole the show at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit in September. While calling upon the world to ‘act now’, India pledged to add 450 gigawatts of renewable energy to the 175 gigawatts planned till 2022.
Finally, the cherry on New Delhi’s cake was the unanimous endorsement received from the Asia Pacific Group for election next year to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council starting in 2021.
While the Prime Minister started 2019 with a bang – literally by conducting airstrikes in Pakistan – there were also several challenges staring at India.
Beijing’s tactical use of its foreign investments to aggrandize its political influence in India’s neighborhood was a major concern for New Delhi. This was seconded by US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan. With US boots packing out, the Taliban could attempt to strengthen its grip in war-torn Afghanistan. Their influence could subsequently spread to Kashmir and cause major security concerns for India.
The third and presumably the most anticipated was the payback for India’s bold outreach to West Asia – namely Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The armament of policies by powerful nations has blurred the differences between diplomatic dialogues and economic engagement. In 2020, India will have to complete all its works-in-progress relations, first in its immediate neighborhood, if it has to have an enduring geopolitical legacy.
Here are some of India’s lesser-known diplomatic achievements from 2019:
India Gains Access to Bolivian Mines
After extensive talks between the two countries, Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma agreed to sign a joint-venture pact to facilitate lithium Carbonate to New Delhi. The mutually beneficial partnership will help construction of production facilities for Lithium batteries in India. “It was the government’s objective to have 30 percent of vehicles in India run on electric batteries by 2030. This partnership has given India access into Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni mines and other lithium-rich areas,” an official said.
India’s Developing Interest in Morocco
In February 2019, India signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)s with Morocco on lines to enhance defense, security, counterterrorism, and trade. The two nations agreed to form a joint working group on counterterrorism, apart from specialized cells on business investments, cooperation in youth affairs and housing-infrastructure.
India’s Assistance in Myanmar’s Rakhine State
India signed a $25 million contract with Myanmar to deliver prefabricated housing units meant for Rohingya refugees. The two countries signed a MoU on the Rakhine State Development Program, wherein all housing units constructed for the Rohingya-Muslim refugees will be by India. Experts claimed that a similar project awaits New Delhi in Bangladesh, which is also troubled by the Rohingya refugee issue.
Over 70 Sri Lankan Projects With India
In a gesture aimed at rekindling warmth in its ties with the Sri Lankan government, India has undertaken over 70 people-oriented projects in the island nation. India is set to develop projects in fields like housing, infrastructure, healthcare, education, vocational training, and agriculture.
This is a small move to pave bilateral relations with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. India plans to take more such projects to upset China’s equation in Sri Lanka.
India also built a first-ever model village in Sri Lanka’s Ranidugama area. Largely affected by war, Indian developers constructed an entire village for the estate workers of the area.
Male and New Delhi’s Passenger-Commercial Shipping Understanding
In another move to financially assist a debt-ridden nation trampled by China, Prime Minister Modi signed a shipping contract with the Maldives. The MoU between India and Maldives will harness a potential opportunity to boost passenger and cargo transportation. India plans to develop ferry services between Kulhudhuffushi in Male with Kerala in India. New Delhi has also extended a $100 million standby credit facility to Maldives. India also has a new visa agreement with the Maldives to boost people-to-people ties.
Influencing Africa
Prime Minister Modi extended a $15 million as an aid to Nigeria – to organize the African Union Summit. India also signed formal partnership programs in Africa to assist the Saharan nations in aspects of healthcare, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, scientific development, and transportation. These partnership programs are of importance for India as it competes with China for influencing the African continent.
Combating Narcotics With Indonesia
In a bid to plug the drug cartels and human trafficking, India in March signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesia. The MoU involves the formation of joint task forces, operational intelligence, and a ban on both drug trade and human trafficking in both the countries. India has signed similar MoU’s of cooperation in these two areas with 37 countries.
Argentina and 10 Deals
With approval from Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri, India signed 10 deals with the South American nation. Apart from MoUs on defense, tourism, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and information technology; India bagged a civil nuclear agreement with Argentina. This was followed by the Prasar Bharati forging cooperation and collaboration pact for public content in Argentina. Not to forget the cooperation over the unexplored continent of Antarctica.
India & China – 2020
China, under President Xi Jinping, has realigned its regional policy. By leveraging armaments with the economy, Beijing has pursued to strike more sustained political relationships in the Indian sub-continent. In its attempts to expand its geo-economic footprint – China with an aggressive impetus to the One Belt and One Road Initiative (OBORI) has forged commercial-friendly ties with smaller nations along the route.
Not to be left behind, India under Prime Minister’s ‘Act East Policy’ has begun to reconnect with its South Asian neighbors. The Prime Minister in his foreign outreach is intensity-personified, but the bureaucrats of New Delhi appear to be responding to it nimbly.
India must deepen its engagement with countries like South Korea and Japan if it plans to tilt the balance of power in Asia. Japan has plans to deepen its economic engagement with India. From transportation, communication, and defense, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe looks upon Prime Minister Modi to tilt the balance of power against Jinping. The way forward for India is to use the ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ partnership with Japan and the US against China. Although, India must remain cautious of not drifting away too from its ‘oldest and natural ally’ – Russia.
