Today hardly any part of the world is untouched by the interplay of oil and international politics. Consumers as well as producers are concerned about the impact of national and international events that increase or restrict the supply of energy. Given that the West Asian region holds the world's largest residual oil and gas resources, the article seeks to analyse the importance of West Asia in the context of the changing geopolitical situation and its impact on the current oil market. The article also focuses on the issue of the petrodollar and looks at its impact on the oil market.
The India–China nuclear-strategic relationship has been surprisingly under studied, given the rising interest in the strategic interaction between the two countries. 1 Part of the reason is that India's nuclear capabilities have been relatively limited vis-à-vis China, though this is exaggerated by the tendency among Indian analysts to focus on the need to target Beijing. There is no evident reason why China should not be deterred by the targeting of other cities that are closer to India.
Russia has renewed its efforts to reconfirm its territorial claim over the southern Kuril Islands, also claimed by Japan and known as the Northern Territories..
India should seek a regional solution to the Afghan conflict, involving a regional force under a UN flag to provide a stable environment for governance and development till the Afghan National Army can take over.
The Gulf region is important for India because of increased cooperation in the fields of trade, business, politics and security. The "Look West Policy" intends to further deepen India's engagement with its "extended neighbourhood."
To maximise gains from their bilateral relations, India and Indonesia have to tread a middle path - a mix of furthering economic complementarities while competing to attract foreign investments.
