West Asia

China’s soft diplomacy in West Asia, particularly in times of pandemic, is a way to improve its global image and recast itself as a responsible actor at relatively low cost, rather than a sign of any deeper commitment towards the region.

• Nagapushpa Devendra
• July 03, 2020
• IDSA Comments

The pandemic continues to amplify the crisis in West Asia, making it hard for governments to cope with it individually. In the absence of a coordinated effort at the regional level, the road to economic recovery will be long and uneven.

• Nagapushpa Devendra
• May 29, 2020
• Backgrounder

As the COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the key priorities for the GCC countries are to contain the spread of the pandemic, maintain the flow of trade across their borders and preserve their economies from adverse impacts.

• Prasanta Kumar Pradhan
• April 16, 2020
• IDSA Comments

As concerns over a potential conflict in the region grow, the pressing issue of what a conflict would mean for the price of international crude oil needs to be addressed urgently.

• Shebonti Ray Dadwal , G. Balachandran
• July 04, 2019
• IDSA Comments

The key focus areas during the visit of MBS to India were terrorism, investment, energy, skill development, security and Indian diaspora in Saudi Arabia.

• Lakshmi Priya
• March 05, 2019
• IDSA Comments

Jerusalem is a theological, geographical, historical, archaeological, political and emotional issue with contested claims and overlapping legacies.

• P. R. Kumaraswamy
• December 15, 2017
• Issue Brief

The nostalgia among a section of the AKP to recreate the Ottoman past through economic and geopolitical integration has been the driving force behind Turkey’s recent assertive postures in regional matters including the Qatar crisis.

• Md. Muddassir Quamar
• September 26, 2017
• IDSA Comments

The view from West Asia of India–Israel ties has been interlinked not only with the region’s negative perception of Israel but also with Israel’s evolving position in the West Asian geo-political framework. The growing economic and political power of India in the last two decades and its deepening economic ties with countries in West Asia, however, have brought new factors into play. This perspective, along with the promise of the positive role India can play in West Asian affairs, now colours the Arab appreciation of India–Israel ties as well.

• Sanjay Singh
• July 2017
• Strategic Analysis

White House has sought to assuage the West Asian states’ feelings that the ties with Asia-Pacific would not be at their expense. On the other hand, there are strong prescriptions from within the US calling for quietly downgrading involvement in the sorry mess of West Asia as the problems there can at best be managed, but never solved.

• Gulshan Dietl
• December 11, 2013
• IDSA Comments

As we move into the second winter of the Arab Spring, this Issue Brief attempts to take stock of the progress of the Arab Spring and examine whether the aspirations of people have been met or have they been handed a raw deal.

• Rajeev Agarwal
• October 26, 2012
• Issue Brief