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India at SCO Summit

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June 08, 2018

What is the issue?

  • India is to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit as a full member.
  • The summit gives India an opportunity to showcase the kind of power it wants to be.

What are the recent geopolitical developments?

  • Both India and Pakistan were admitted to the grouping last year.
  • This was finalised at its summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
  • From then, world politics has undergone several tectonic shifts.
  • The US has pulled out of the nuclear deal (or JCPOA) between the P-5+1 and Iran.
  • US President and North Korean leader are scheduled to meet in Singapore.
  • After the Doklam standoff, India and China have attempted to reset relations.
  • An informal summit was arranged between Indian PM and Chinese President at Wuhan.
  • The US has imposed sanctions on Russia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
  • This notably affects Indian defence purchases from its strongest defence partner.
  • The chemical attack in Salisbury has sharply escalated Russian-western tensions.
  • It led to London and Moscow expelling each other’s diplomats.
  • The US has delivered a public rebuke to Pakistan for not cracking down on terrorists.
  • It also suspended military assistance to Pakistan.
  • Indian PM has made historic separate visits to Israel and Palestine, completing their de-hyphenation.
  • The India-US-Japan-Australia quadrilateral has been revived.
  • This is particularly against the backdrop of Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

What is the significance of the SCO summit?

  • India has challenges to address and opportunities to harvest in the SCO summit.
  • Pakistan - The summit provides an opportunity for the Indian and Pakistani leaders.
  • They could meet informally on the sidelines of a multilateral event.
  • The two sides are obliged to cooperate on issues of mutual interest without bringing in their bilateral disputes.
  • Signing off on joint counter-terrorism exercises will be a new form of engagement between the two militaries.
  • China - After the Wuhan meet, the SCO summit will provide another opportunity for cooperation.
  • Russia - Russia has been India’s staunchest supporter in the SCO.
  • It has lobbied hard with Beijing for years to ensure India's entry into the grouping.
  • India is clear that its relationship with Moscow would not be impacted by the West’s approach towards it.
  • Iran - Iran is an observer state that has applied for full SCO membership.
  • India has a powerful strategic interest in Iran’s Chabahar port.
  • The US administration is hostile to Iran.
  • But India has been seeking to signal to US, the alignment of interests in Chabahar.

What lies ahead?

  • The “Shanghai Spirit” is the SCO’s driving philosophy.
  • It emphasises
  1. harmony
  2. working by consensus
  3. respect for other cultures
  4. non-interference in the internal affairs of others
  5. non-alignment
  • SCO’s main objective is working cooperatively against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
  • This notably coordinates well with India's interests as well.
  • The SCO summit thus gives India an opportunity to showcase the kind of power it wants to be.

 

Source: Indian Express

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