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Recent India-Japan Cooperation Sets Base for Quad Security Partnership
Satoru Nagao writes on how the India-Japan 2+2 dialogue enhances the scope for deeper cooperation among the Quad members. He argues that in August 2024, India and Japan held a 2+2 foreign and defense ministers’ meeting in Delhi and the main topic was security and defense issues. Although this was merely the third 2+2 after one that took place in September 2022, there are a few reasons why this latest meeting was a key development. For instance, just before the 2+2 meeting, Japan publicized the first air visit by Japanese fighter jets and their participation at Tarang Shakti, the first multilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. At the 2+2 meeting, India-Japan expressed approval of the meeting’s joint statement. The Tarang Shakti exercise is India’s newest step toward cooperation with other members of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad. For a long time, India has hesitated to emphasize the military aspect of the Quad. One of the reasons is related to the India-China land border. If China believed that the Quad is a military alliance aimed against it rather than just a diplomatic partnership, China would make all efforts to see it disbanded. In such a scenario, there is a strong possibility that India could be China’s first target. Read this piece Nagao here.
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India-EU Cooperation on Global Gateway can Check China’s BRI Strategy in the Himalayas
Niranjan Marjani writes on how India-EU cooperation on the Global Gateway could be beneficial for countering the Chinese influence in the Himalayas. He writes that for the EU, the Global Gateway is an important initiative to participate in infrastructure development across the world. The Global Gateway is already contributing to development in various African countries. Through partnership with India, the EU can expect to expand the outreach of the Global Gateway to Asia, especially in the Himalayas. India is already partnering with several countries like the U.S., Japan, and Australia in the maritime domain to counter China’s aggression. India and the EU are close strategic partners as well. Cooperation with the EU in the Himalayas through the Global Gateway could be an important step for India towards countering China’s assertion in the territorial domain, writes Niranjan Marjani.
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Will Kamala Harris Reignite Dialogue with North Korea if Elected in 2024?
Quid Pro Quo: Will Controlled Dialogue Make a Comeback? Jagannath Panda writes for The National Interest that the lack of any mention of “denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula in the 2024 Democratic Party platform so far highlights that North Korea, on its own, may not necessarily be a concern in this election, nor is its denuclearization considered a feasible option policy-wise. This is a break from the 2020 election when the Democratic platform included “the longer-term goal of denuclearization." Nonetheless, even as the omission has raised concerns in some quarters of South Korea, it would be foolhardy to assume that a potential Harris policy would not steer away from the platform’s summary, which only offers a sneak peek into the political thinking. Moreover, this platform seems to have been finalized before Biden stepped down, it assumes Biden returning for a second term, from the race in favor of Harris, writes Panda. Notwithstanding such nuances, what would a Harris presidency mean for U.S. policy in the Korean Peninsula in general and North Korea in particular? Would Harris continue with President Joe Biden’s policy of disengagement in tandem with sanctions and military pressure if elected? Or, would she focus more on diplomatic engagement without dialing down on the pressure? What of South Korea's, for now, latent ambitions to go nuclear? Read this piece by Jagannath Panda here.
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Lessons from 20 years of Inter-ethnic Power Sharing in North Macedonia
Pyke Haans writes on how the ’looser’ character of Macedonian consociationalism, preceding a federal solution, lack of international overseer, and more freedom in creating government bodies, has created a much more functional state than the more rigid consociational systems in Bosnia or Lebanon. He writes that the fear of unilateral secession of regions is low, because there is no federal unit, whereas in Bosnia it is a constant threat. Therefore, a looser approach to consociationalism could be a good model in similar divided, post-conflict societies, to bring all challenging parties to the table and give them a stake in state functioning. The lure of Euro-Atlantic integration provides an option for the international community to shape post-conflict state-building to include minority groups and potentially prevent future conflict. North Macedonia provides a relevant example of what a post-conflict consociational society could look like 20 years later. For all its faults and challenges, many of which are also experienced in neighboring non-consociational countries, the consociational Macedonian state is today stable and democratic, writes Pyke Haans.
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Kamala Harris and North Korea: Between Continuity, Pragmatism, and Strategic Realignment
Riccardo Villa writes on what a likely Kamala Harris presidency would mean for the American approach towards North Korea. He argues that a possible future Harris administration will likely continue the Biden administration’s approach to North Korea, focusing on sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Broader geopolitical challenges may shape this strategy, including tensions with China and Russia. Perceived inaction could lead to larger crises, making it crucial for a Harris administration to couple a more pragmatic and issue-specific approach to the traditional U.S. foreign policy approach to North Korea. Read the piece here.
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The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
The Global Supply Chains have evolved from simply logistical achievements to being the bedrock of the global economy. Driven by technological advances and geopolitical shifts, this transformation underscores the critical role of GSCs in shaping economic landscapes and influencing global trade dynamics. Western economies are increasingly intertwined with sectors of the Chinese economy, fueled by heavy Chinese investment in labor and R&D infrastructure. The growing gravitational pull of China’s economic orbit has diminished the influence of Western economies in fostering good governance and institutional norms. China’s expanding control over trading routes has also empowered it to act in ways that undermine the principles of open seas. This book by Niklas Swanström, Fredrik Erixon and Mrittika Guha Sarkar covers the entangled issues of strategic dependency and economic vulnerability which requires a multifaceted policy response. The authors argue that global supply chains must serve both as conduits of trade and pillars of a stable, secure global order. It’s as much about revitalizing domestic economic dynamism and building new alliances as it is reducing Chinese and Russian influence in the transatlantic supply chains. See the book details here.
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Recent India-Japan Cooperation Sets Base for Quad Security Partnership
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India-EU Cooperation on Global Gateway can Check China’s BRI Strategy in the Himalayas
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Will Kamala Harris Reignite Dialogue with North Korea if Elected in 2024?
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Lessons from 20 years of Inter-ethnic Power Sharing in North Macedonia
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Kamala Harris and North Korea: Between Continuity, Pragmatism, and Strategic Realignment
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The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
Latest Publications
Will Kamala Harris Reignite Dialogue with North Korea if Elected in 2024?
Quid Pro Quo: Will Controlled Dialogue Make a Comeback? In late August, in her nomination acceptance speech, the U.S. Democratic presidential candidate for 2024, Kamala Harris, unequivocally talked about not cozying up […]
Kamala Harris on North Korea: Change or Continuation?
Despite many efforts and different strategies, both previous and current U.S. administrations have been unsuccessful in preventing the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) from developing its nuclear and missile […]
India-Sweden Strategic Compass
The year 2024 is proving to be quite memorable for India-Europe relations. First off, PM Modi’s multiple visits to the EU member-states of Austria and Poland, as well as Ukraine […]
- Balancing Between East and West: Turkey Risks Forfeiting the Confidence of Everyone
- Siding Openly with Hamas, Turkey is Sidelined on Settlement Talks
- The Border Wall between Turkey and Iran: Security at the Cost of the Environment?
- Local Elections Were a Loss for the AKP, Were They a Victory for the Opposition?
Books
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The US and EU, and the Emerging Supply Chain Network: Politics, Prospects, and Allies
The Global Supply Chains have evolved from simply logistical achievements to being the bedrock of the global economy. Driven by technological advances and geopolitical shifts, this transformation underscores the critical […]
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IN DEFENSE OF THE LIBERAL INTERNATIONAL ORDER
In recent years, the geopolitical fight for global economic, diplomatic, and institutional control has acutely intensified, accentuating the crisis in the existing post-World War II Liberal International Order (LIO), championed […]
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Quad Plus and Indo-Pacific: The Changing Profile of International Relations
This book explores how the Quad Plus mechanism is set to reshape the global multilateral economic and security co-operations between Quad partner countries and the rest of the world. With […]
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Obeständigt – Kontraster i japansk kultur
In Japanese culture, contrasts have always been a key factor. This culture has fascinated the outside world for hundreds, if not thousands of years. But Japan is a country largely […]
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Towards a Sustainable Arctic: International Security, Climate Change and Green Shipping
The Arctic’s environment, economics, and politics are changing rapidly, and the conflicting interests among stakeholders mean that it lacks sustainable political and military cooperation. States bordering the Arctic — Russia, […]