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India – Portugal

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June 25, 2017

Why in news?

PM Narendra Modi will land in Lisbon for the first-ever bilateral visit of an Indian PM to Portugal. It will symbolically mark the beginning of a new era in Indo-Portuguese relations.

Why the visit?

  • PM’s Lisbon detour is also driven by three strategic factors. These reflect a confident India, focused on reaching new shores by engaging Europe, balancing China, and leveraging the diaspora.
  • Context of European outreach effort - In order to balance Beijing’s formidable Western offensive.
  • As one of Beijing’s few strategic partners on the Atlantic, Portugal hosts one of the highest levels of Chinese per capita investments.
  • Beijing is now seeking to establish a similar framework (like the 16+1 mechanism), for the Mediterranean to link its continental connectivity plans to the Atlantic and Africa.
  • Modi’s visit to Portugal thus marks a symbolic response to China, as President Xi Jinping has yet failed to make an appearance in Lisbon.
  • It also seeks greater Indo-European engagement in Africa, in cooperation with “like-minded” states.
  • The Portugal connection could also be laying the ground for a complementary Indo-Atlantic space that reflects India’s reorientation towards West.
  • Expanding presence in Africa and Latin America - It could also seek to leverage Lisbon’s influence and expertise in those regions.
  • The Portuguese-speaking world includes nine states on four continents, including Brazil, Mozambique and Timor-Leste.
  • This “lusophone” sphere offers significant scope for trilateral alignments, and fits with New Delhi’s emphasis on inclusive partnerships with small states and middle powers in niche sectors.
  • New Delhi is also considers joining the CPLP, the community of Portuguese-speaking nations, as an associate member.
  • Diaspora in Portugal - Where one of Europe’s largest communities of Indian origin has taken much pride in seeing Antonio Costa (his father was a Goan) elected as the West’s first leader of Indian-origin Minister.
  • India can leverage its historical connections and overseas communities as an asset to build bridges and increase influence abroad.

 

Source: The Indian Express

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