Global Trading System
WTO Chief highlighted need to reform global trading system.
Why reform needed?
- protectionism eg. MAGA use tariff as weapon
- fragmented trade
- friendshoring, nearshoring
- brittle supply chains that can’t deal with shocks (as seen in Iran - US tension)
- Choke points eg. Strait of Hormuz
- Green Protectionism: EU’s CBAM
- Regionalism eg. RCEP
- lack of unified rules for AI & cross border data sharing
- Institutional paralysis eg. WTO
India France Relations
- Special Global Strategic Partnership
- trilateral cooperation in African projects
- defence
- french support for India’s permanent UNSC seat
- france key stakeholder in IMEC
- France is india’s 2nd largest defence supplier
- military exercises - varuna, Frinjex
- trade
- 3rd largest trading partner within EU
- 11th largest foreign investor in india
- tech
- TRISHNA satellite built with CNES, France + ISRO
- French support for gaganyan 2027
- UPI launched in france
- sustainability
- climate leadership: ISA, CDRI
- nuclear: cooperation in Nuclear project at Jaitapur, Maharashtra
Key challenges
- limited economic engagement
- strategic difference in global issue eg. Russia Ukraine conflict
- limited P2P contact & cultural engagement
- EU regulatory barriers
Global waterways
S Jaishankar
Global waterways should be safe, unimpeded.
S Jaishankar
Upholding the Indus Water Treaty is a cornerstone of regional peace and stability.
BRICS Women Working Group
- Hosted in Kochi
- Functional cooperation, Women led development
- 4 themes
- women in governance and leadership
- financial & digital inclusion
- women entrepreneurship & skill development
- women role in cliate action, food security, nutrition
- self reliant governance
- finance, market access
- climate justice
- DPI has allowed higher accessibility to women in india
- Western financial institiutions have progressed neo liberalist policies that created disparities
- challenges: cultural violence & structural violence
BRICS Women Business Alliance
- forum for enhancing women’s economic participation and entrepreneurship within BRICS nations
- estd. 2020 under Russia’s chairmanship
Mecca Agreement
- Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Pakistan: trilateral defence agreement
- NATO Article 5 style arrangement: collective defence, collective deterrence
- armed attack on any one as an attack on all three
- individual significance
- Saudi: Oil rich (capital)
- Turkiye: NATO member (influence + tech)
- Pakistan: Nuclear armed nation
- why?
- diminished USA strategic presence
- 2019 Houthi attack on saudi oil facilities
- China brokered 2023 saudi iran normalization
- USA-Israel war on Iran 2026
- India effects?
- retaliation with Pakistan comes with greater diplomatic cost with other allies
- Saudi pursues diverse strategic relationships with USA and engagement with Iran (strategic autonomy)
- India must deepen ties with gulf partners to ensure this doesn’t turn into anti india axis
Cultural Diplomacy
Types used by india
- Bilateral Cultural Exchange Programmes
- via institutional MoU & agreements
- currently active with 98 nations
- reciprocal artistic exchange, museum collaboration, heritage conservation
- Festivals Of India Abroad
- large scale indian cultural showcase thru Ministry of Culture
- Transnational Heritage Initiatives
- Project Mausam
- Brihattar Bharat
- Wellness & Philosophical outreach
- Ayurveda
- Intl. Day of Yoga
- Academic & Youth Engagement
- estd. Chairs of Indian Studies at foreign uni
- educationsal scholarships to intl students via Indian Council for Cultural Relations
Role of Culture in Diplomacy
- build soft power, trust, goodwill, positive global image
- P2P contact, empathetic relationships
- mitigating geopolitical tensions (stablizing bridge during political strain)
- promoting inbound tourism, creative economy, spiritual wellness, creative tourism
Present Initiative Names
- Global Engagement Scheme - umbrella scheme of Ministry of Culture, includes:
- Intl. Cultural Exchange Programme
- Project Mausam
- Brihattar Bharat
- Scheme for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Institutional Coordination via ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations, under MEA)
- runs global network of Indian Cultural Centers, art residencies, organizes art festivals
- Embedding cultural cooperation agenda indo major multilateral groupings eg. BRICS, G20, SCO, BIMSTEC
Challenges with Cultural Diplomacy
- Budgetary constraints
- Institutional fragmentation
- ministry of culture, external affairs, tourism, stage governments
- underutilied maritime & diaspora links
- linguistic & modern narrative gap
- overreliance on ancient / classical heritage risks subjugating contemporary and living aritsts, authors etc
Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness
- tech driven multilateral security initiative by QUAD
- shared near realtime maritime operational picture across the pacific islands, SE Asia, Indian Ocean
- fuses Satellite RF, SAR, AIS
- origin: Tokyo Quad Summit 2022
Writing
- India has both the capacity and responsibility to XYZ
- Indi cannot afford to be a stranger to XYZ
India Uzbekistan
31 AUG 2026
Ties elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
Key data of new deals (aug 2026)
- target: $5B trade by 2030
- Preferential Trade Agreement
- long term Uranium supply to india for civil power generation
- $1M Aral Sea Environment grant by India
- DPI: UPI - UZQR integration
- Joint military drills: Dustlik
- IMP: elevated bilateral joint commission from level of secretaries to Ministerial Level Coordination Council, co-chaired by Foreign Minister to oversee project execution
- joint ventures for geological exploration, mining, processing of critical / strategic minerals
- joint research in defence, co-development of military hardware
- Tashkent Pharma Park - India will invest in
- Fayaz Tepa & Kara Tepa - Buddhist sites, Uzbek shall restore
- Uzbek reaffirmed support for India’s permanent membership in UNSC
- India welcomed Uzbek’s prospective entry into ISA & IBCA
Challenges
- absence of direct overland transit (pak refuses to grant land access)
- non tariff barriers, customs bottleneck, disparate phystosanitary certifications
- regional instability (Afghan)
- competitions from major powers
- China’s BRI
- Russian supply chains
Way Ahead
- Fast track the PTA, with clear tariff concessions on pharma, engg goods, automotive, agri
- integrate chabahar port with INSTC routes
- establish bilateral critical minerals taskforce
- operationalize JV b/w KABIL & Uzbek geological agencies
- deploy dedicated air cargo corridors for trade
- strengthen regional counter rerror coordination
- leverange SCO’s RATS (HQ: Tashkent) for joint cyber drills, monitoring security along afghan border
India Kyrgyzstan
Central Asia Connect
Houthi expansion on Red Sea
- Bab el mandeb is gateway b/w Indian Ocean & Red Sea - Suez route
- Perim Island in Bab el Mandeb gives Houthis advantageous position to threaten shipping
- effect on India
- higher trade cost / uncertainty (hits export competitiveness, import costs, inflation, manufacturing)
- energy security - curde oil
- affect exports to Europe
- safety of indian seafarers
- Indian strategic interest in maintaining freedom of navigation & security of SLoC
- raises importance of IMEC
Other dump
- BRICS:
- Differing Visions in BRICS
- POWER Framework (TODO: make notes)
- Principle
- Openness
- Win Win
- Engine (of global growth & industrialization)
- Responsibility
- challenges:
- divergent strategic trajectories
- asymmetry in bilateral commerce
- geopolitical friction on unreslved borders
- dedollarization vs local currency