Managing Connectivity Conflict: EU-India Cooperation and China's Belt and Road Initiative

Research Fellow, IDSA, Dr Jagannath Panda's Co-authored paper titled 'Managing Connectivity Conflict: EU-India Cooperation and China's Belt and Road Initiative' has been published as Asia Paper (December 2018) at the Institute for Security & Development Policy, Sweden.

The paper argues that Connectivity initiatives are the latest geopolitical tool for advancing influence in international relations and diplomacy. Against the backdrop of an emerging connectivity conflict, the responsibility is on likeminded countries and organisations to promote initiatives that embody transparency and universalism in connectivity projects and that benefit citizens in the long term. The EU and India are two important actors in this regard. This paper analyses the scope of cooperation in the field of connectivity between EU and India, arguing that they are two important strategic poles of the current world order with shared interests. Europe and India are key actors of the western and non-western democratic liberal order that aims to strengthen “open, transparent and rules-based system of international politics and economics.” Realizing this potential requires candid and engaged strategic and economic exchange between the two sides.

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