INDIA INVITED FOR US-TALIBAN TALKS IN QATAR

02, Mar 2020

Why in News?

• India has been invited to witness the ceremony to seal the peace deal between the U.S. and Taliban in Qatari capital Doha.

Highlights:

• The deal would allow for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan. The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001.
• India has reiterated that a peace negotiation should be Afghan owned, Afghan led and Afghan controlled, and participation from the Afghan government in the ceremony will indicate that the U.S.-Taliban deal will ultimately take an inclusive turn.
• This issue is already part of the draft peace agreement and Kabul is expected to deal with this soon after the U.S.-Taliban deal is signed.
• It is understood that the same six-member delegation will represent the Government of President Ghani in the ceremony and begin the intra-Afghan negotiation thereafter.
• India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Major powers such as the US, Russia and Iran have been reaching out to the Taliban as part of efforts to push the stalled Afghan peace process.

Peace Deal:

• The Peace deal will allow for the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan.
• There are more than 12,000 US troops in Afghanistan. A report stated that 2,448 Americans have died in combat there since the invasion in October 2001.
• India has been invited by the Qatar government for the signing ceremony India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan.
• This will be the first time India will officially attend an event involving the Taliban.
• Countries including the US, Russia, and Iran have been reaching out to the Taliban as part of efforts to push the stalled Afghan peace process.
• In November 2018, India had sent two former diplomats in non-official capacity to a conference on the Afghan peace process in Moscow, Russia.
• The peace deal conference was organized by Russia. It was attended by a high-level Taliban delegation, representatives of Afghanistan and from several other countries, including the US, Pakistan, and China.

• India has also been maintaining that care should be taken to ensure that any such process does not lead to any “ungoverned spaces” where terrorists and their proxies can relocate.

MALDIVES AND INDIA

16, Jun 2019

• Maldives is an Island nation located in the Indian Ocean.
• It owes significance as it is a member of Indian Ocean Rim Association since 2018.
• Maldives has recently become a hotspot for the ongoing power struggle between India and China to establish supremacy over the Indian Ocean region.
• The present regime of Maldives under President Ibrahim Mohammed Solih is more inclined towards India than China. Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to the island nation soon after his re-election reflects the importance that India holds for the country.
• Both India and Maldives share the issues on religious radicalization, terrorism, energy crisis, blue economy, tourism, maritime security etc. India has signed agreements on various sectors in Modi’s recent visit to the nation.
• Cooperation in the field of Hydrography
• Health sector
• Establishment of passenger cargo service by sea between the two Nations
• Customs capacity building
• Sharing of White shipping information

INDIA, AUSTRALIA TO ADOPT CLASSIFIED COMMUNICATIONS

12, May 2019

Why in News:

• Australian Navy is, at present, “hanging off” COMCASA — India’s secure communications
  agreement with the U.S. — Australia

Background:

• India moving to classified communications environment that one would see, for instance, in the Combined Task Force 150, 151 and 152 operations, where there’s a bunch of like- minded countries that have a communications system that is operating at the classified level, to be able to allow them to talk together.

Relation between India and Australia:

• The establishment of India-Australia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) in 1989 encouraged dialogue at a government and business level on multiple issues of trade and investment.
• India-Australia CEO Forum is a significant mechanism through which business leaders from both nations engage in mutually fruitful dialogue to enhance bilateral trade and investment relationship. The Forum consists of heads of Indian and Australian business from multiple sectors like energy and resources, agri-business, financial sector, telecommunications, IT, education and pharmaceuticals. The last meeting of the Forum was held in New Delhi on 29th August 2017.
• The city of Canberra, Australia hosted the seventh India-Australia Economic Policy Dialogue during 16-18 July 2017.
• India s main exports to Australia are passenger motor vehicle and machinery, pearls, gems and jewellery, medicaments (including veterinary) and refined petroleum products.
• India s major imports from Australia are coal, non-monetary gold, copper, wool, fertilizers, wheat, vegetables and education-related services.
• In 2016, India s trade in goods and services with Australia was about US$ 15.6 billion. In 2016, India s export to Australia was about US$4.6 billion.
• In 2016, India s import from Australia was about US$11 billion.
• The two countries are also involved in the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) negotiations.
• Indian companies have invested in Australian mining sector successfully.
• India is the fifth largest export market for Australia and tenth largest trading partner overall.