Comments & Briefs

India’s increasing reliance on FMS route is indicative of its desperation to bridge the gaps in its defence preparedness and shows the weakness of the Defence Procurement Procedure.

The second US-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting in New York hints at concerns about China’s assertiveness and acknowledges a role for US balancing.

India has been fairly successful in firewalling the radical blowback emanating from Pakistan in the past and need not be overly worried about the impending US withdrawal.

The Sri Lankan government seems to be in a desperate hurry to bring about all the necessary revisions in the constitution to strengthen the Executive Presidency without any provision of checks and balances. Sri Lanka, under Rajapaksa, is headed towards nepotism and dictatorship as the 18th amendment suggests.

From a broader perspective, the referendum and the debates around it should be seen as the latest example of the domestic transformation of Turkish politics especially since the AKP came to power in 2002.

Cutting off defence ties with Israel will not in any way be the ‘magic’ bullet that will lead to the resolution of the intractable Palestine conflict.

Global warming-induced accessibility has drawn many actors to the Arctic zone, seeking to establish exclusive sovereign rights over its many natural endowments.

The strategy helps sensitise Pakistan to India’s tolerance threshold and reinforces deterrence by bringing home unambiguously to Pakistan that things could get out of hand.

As the European political landscape is continuously changing and assertive voices from the CEEC are expected to be heard, India and Poland should seriously think about establishing a strategic partnership.

The tremendous growth in Bangladesh’s exports has been due to three factors – the global recession, new markets and China’s spectacular economic growth.