Q) “From substantive defence engagement to regional questions in Central Asia, Afghanistan and West Asia, a conversation with Russia remains an important element of Indian foreign policy.” Discuss the importance of multilateral forums. What are the challenges relating to it for India?
Answer:
In international relations, multilateralism refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal.
Importance of Multilateral Forums:
- From substantive defence engagement to regional questions in Central Asia, Afghanistan and West Asia, a conversation with Russia remains an important element of Indian foreign policy.
- The multilateral forums are important as they foster continued India-Russia cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels. * India and Russia, particularly since the 2018 Sochi informal summit have spent the past few years strengthening their partnership.
- India’s External Affairs Minister has noted that we live in a ‘curious world’ where one cannot view engagement with different parties as a ‘zero-sum game’. The zero-sum game essentially means gain for one of the players and loss for the other.
- As a result, worsening India-China ties or a growing China-Russia relationship would not automatically mean a breakdown of the India-Russia strategic partnership
Challenges for India
Both India and Russia recognize the value of having a diversified portfolio of ties.
- The combination of a changing regional order, closer Russia-China ties and India’s alignment with the United States and other like-minded countries to manage China’s rise has the potential to create hurdles for India-Russia cooperation in Asia.
- India would like to secure Russian support in this changing Asian regional order. However, Russia has seen China become its key partner as relations with the West have hit a new post-Cold War low since 2014.
- The U.S. policy towards Russia has further pushed it towards China. This has resulted in strengthening China’s rising power, to the detriment of both Indian and western interests.
- India on its part has sought to include Russia in its vision of the Indo-Pacific that does not see the region as ‘a strategy or as a club of limited members’.
- Russia has acknowledged that the Indo-Pacific does not include the aim of containment of another power, however, it has been critical of the American conception of the region that in its strategy classifies China as a revisionist power.
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