New Delhi backs regional road link to spur economic growth
Live Mint, 12 August, 2017
With a South Asian road and rail connectivity project scuttled by Pakistan and another effort by New Delhi to link Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India by road running into roadblocks, India on Friday sought to push connectivity between South and South-East Asia to spur economic growth and development. More…
Bimstec member nations for early conclusion of FTA
Business Standard, 11 August, 2017
Bimstec member states on Friday called for the early conclusion of a free trade area (FTA) agreement to deepen regional integration in the Bay of Bengal region. More…
A PARADIGM SHIFT IN FOREIGN POLICY
Daily Pioneer, 10 August, 2017
India’s foreign policy, ever since independence, remained focused on the principles of peace, non-violence, non-alignment, anti-imperialism, anti-racism, anti-war etc, which are derived from the faith and ideals of human goodness, innate equality of the people, universal brotherhood, unity in diversity and secularism. More…
Unproductive associations
Kathmandu Post, 10 August, 2017
After India decided to boycott the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) Summit in Islamabad last year, it received the immediate support of Afghanistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Despite being the Saarc chair, Nepal could not take a strong stand and assume leadership of the summit and the entire situation now seems to have deteriorated into confusion. More…
India wants quick deal on BIMSTEC free trade
Business Line, 06 August, 2017
With an eye on bypassing Pakistan and boosting regional trade, India is aggressively pushing for the conclusion of long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) by November during the Summit meeting. More…