Comment & Briefs

The formal inclusion of the Munitions List within the SCOMET framework explicitly brings the defence industry under the purview of India’s global commitment to non-proliferation.

The decision to target Qatar clearly indicates that the region is now divided into two camps and that the Arab Gulf countries are in no mood to accept neutral players.

A high level political engagement between Oman and India will push the relations in the positive direction and also provide a fresh fillip to the economic relations.

As India enters the Eurasian integration path, it needs to be aware that there is an emerging trend in favour of intra-regional cooperation in Central Asia.

China may emerge as the sole leader of global climate negotiations by supporting the Green Climate Fund, which faces a budget crisis with the US exit. This will also provide an opportunity for China to reshape its current global image.

India should use SCO for building convergences with China and Russia as well as minimise the intensity of China-Pakistan alignment which undercuts India’s direct access to Eurasia.

The SP model, if implemented well, is likely to have a number of benefits for both the private sector and the larger Indian defence industry.

There seems to be no clear advantage of giving an overarching role to the Ministry of Home Affairs as regards formulation of policy or grant of industrial licence for manufacture or export of defence items.

President Trump’s victory and his subsequent actions after assuming the presidency seem to indicate the US withdrawal from a leadership role towards a degree of insulation from world affairs.

The Imam Shamil Battalion has claimed responsibility for the April 3 metro bombing in St. Petersburg and conveyed that the attack was retaliation against Russia’s targeting of jihadis in Syria, Libya and Chechnya.