IR Flashcards
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India:
“India’s development cooperation with Sri Lanka is not based on the principle of give-and-take, but on sharing our experience and resources for mutual benefit.”
quotes
Building Bridges of Friendship and Cooperation” -
“Strengthening Ties, Shaping Futures” -
“United by History, Bonded by Future” -
India is Sri Lanka’s largest trading partner.
1.In 2022, bilateral trade reached approximately USD 5 billion.
Source: Ministry of Commerce, India.
2.The Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) signed in 1998 has boosted trade relations.
India is the largest source of tourists for Sri Lanka,
accounting for 19% of the total tourist arrivals in 2022.
Source: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.
India has provided over USD 3.5 billion in assistance to Sri Lanka, focusing on infrastructure, housing, health, and education.
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, India.
India provided substantial aid,
including USD 4 billion in financial assistance and essential supplies, to help Sri Lanka cope with its economic crisis.
COVID-19 Vaccine Diplomacy:
India supplied over 1.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Sri Lanka under the “Vaccine Maitri” initiative.
Source: Ministry of External Affairs, India.
indo-srilanga relations
Key Agreements and Projects
- Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA) (1998): This agreement aims to promote bilateral trade by reducing tariffs on a wide range of goods, leading to increased economic ties between the two nations.
- Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): Though not fully implemented, CEPA aims to enhance the existing ISFTA by including services and investment, further boosting economic cooperation.
- India-Sri Lanka Nuclear Agreement (2015): This agreement facilitates cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including nuclear safety, radiation protection, and nuclear energy for electricity generation.
- Housing Project for Internally Displaced Persons: India has funded the construction of 50,000 houses in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, benefiting those displaced during the civil war.
- Colombo Port City Project: India has shown interest in investing in this major infrastructure project, which is set to transform Colombo into a global financial hub.
- Colombo-Jaffna Railway Line Rehabilitation: India provided significant financial and technical assistance to rehabilitate this crucial railway line, enhancing connectivity between the capital and the Northern regions.
Aid and Assistance
- Humanitarian Assistance during the Civil War (2006-2009): India provided medical aid, food supplies, and other essential items to those affected by the conflict in Northern Sri Lanka.
- Post-Tsunami Aid (2004): India was one of the first countries to respond to Sri Lanka’s needs after the devastating tsunami, providing rescue operations, medical teams, and rebuilding assistance.
- COVID-19 Aid (2020-2021): India supplied vaccines, medical supplies, and financial aid to help Sri Lanka manage the pandemic, reflecting the strong health cooperation between the two countries.
indo-us
The bilateral trade between India and the U.S. has increased by 7.65% to USD 128.55 in 2022-23 as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22.
India is also one of twelve countries partnering with the United States on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF).
India is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), at which the United States is a dialogue partner.
In 2021, the United States joined the International Solar Alliance headquartered in India,
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are developing a microwave remote sensing satellite for Earth observation, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR).
In June 2023 ISRO signed with NASA the Artemis Accords to participate in peaceful and sustainable civil exploration of outer space.
iCET is a joint initiative by the National Security Advisors of the US and India to foster cooperation and innovation in key technology domains such as AI, quantum, telecom, space, biotech, semiconductors, and defence. It was launched in January 2023.
indo-russia
The India and Russia ties have been a longstanding relation. Since the signing of the “Declaration on the India-Russia Strategic Partnership” in October 2000, India-Russia ties have acquired a qualitatively new character with enhanced levels of cooperation in almost all areas of the bilateral relationship including political, security, defence, trade and economy, science and technology, and culture.
Two Inter-Governmental Commissions – one on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), and another on Military-Technical Cooperation (IRIGC- MTC), meet annually.
The two countries intend to increase bilateral investment to US$50 billion and bilateral trade to US$30 billion by 2025.
Both countries regularly conduct the Tri-Services exercise ‘INDRA‘.
The joint military programmes between India and Russia include:
BrahMos cruise missile programme
Sukhoi Su-30MKI programme
The military hardware purchased/leased by India from Russia includes:
INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier programme
Indian Navy’s first submarine, ‘Foxtrot Class’ came from Russia
INS Vikramaditya, the sole aircraft carrier operated by India, is also Russian in origin.
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) is being built in India .
Both India and Russia are implementing Rooppur Nuclear Power Project in Bangladesh
Both sides cooperate in the peaceful uses of outer space, including satellite launches, GLONASS navigation system, remote sensing and other societal applications of outer space.
An MoU ISRO and ROSCOSMOS on Joint Activities in the field of Human Spaceflight Programme was signed during the 19th Bilateral Summit.
A number of new initiatives in this sphere include India-Russia Bridge to Innovation, cooperation in telemedicine, creation of a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), and the Russia India Network (RIN) of universities.
indo-africa
The ITEC program offers training and capacity building programs to African professionals. India has also extended lines of credit and grants for infrastructure projects, agricultural development, and capacity building.
Indian pharmaceutical companies have provided affordable generic medicines to African countries,
India has signed MoUs with all African nations on the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) is evidence of increased defence engagement with African countries.
The hosting of two India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) at the defense ministers’ level,
Under the Pan African e-Network Project (initiated in 2009), India has set up a fibre-optic network to provide satellite connectivity, tele-medicine and tele-education to countries of Africa.
The subsequent phase, e-VidyaBharti and e-ArogyaBharti (e-VBAB), introduced in 2019, focused on providing free tele-education to African students and continuing medical education for healthcare professionals.
What is the Importance of Africa for India?
Africa is home to over half a dozen of the fastest growing countries of this decade such as Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, etc. making it one of the growth poles of the world.
Real GDP in Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in the past decade has grown by more than twice the rate in the 1980s and 90’s.
The African continent has a population of over one billion with a combined GDP of 2.5 trillion dollars making it a huge potential market.
Africa is a resource rich nation dominated by commodities like crude oil, gas, pulses and lentils, leather, gold and other metals, all of which India lacks in sufficient quantities.
Namibia and Niger are among the top ten global producers of uranium.
South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platinum and chromium.
India is seeking diversification of its oil supplies away from the Middle East and Africa can play an important role in India’s energy matrix.
indo-maldives
India’s swift response and immediate assistance during the 1988 coup attempt laid the foundation for the development of trust and enduring, friendly bilateral relations with the Maldives. The Indian Armed Forces acted promptly, executing Operation Cactus.
India was the first to assist Maldives during the 2004 Tsunami as well as the water crisis in Malé in Dec 2014.
India’s swift dispatch of 30,000 doses of measles vaccine in Jan 2020 to prevent an outbreak in the Maldives, and India’s rapid and comprehensive assistance to the Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic further reinforced India’s credentials of being the “first responder”.
Both nations are key players in maintaining the safety and security of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), thus contributing to India-led Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision.
Defense cooperation extends to the areas of Joint Exercises - “Ekuverin”, “Dosti”, “Ekatha” and “Operation Shield”.
India is amongst the largest sources of visitors to the Maldives, which is heavily dependent on tourism to run its economy.
In 2023, India topped the chart in sending the largest number of tourists to the Maldives (2,09,198), with around 11.8 % market share.
India emerged as Maldives’ 2nd largest trade partner in 2022.
A Bilateral USD Currency Swap Agreement between RBI and Maldives Monetary Authority was signed on 22nd July 2019.
In August 2021, Afcons, an Indian company, signed a contract for the largest-ever infrastructure project in Maldives which is the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP).
The Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development project under an Indian credit line will add a brand-new terminal to cater to 1.3 million passengers a year.
In 2022, the National College for Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) was inaugurated by India’s External Affairs Minister.
India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious links steeped in antiquity. According to anthropologists, the origins of Dhivehi (the Maldivian language) harken back to Sanskrit and Pali.
The Indian expatriate community in the Maldives has an approximate strength of 27,000. The majority of the expatriate teachers in Maldives are Indian nationals.
The ‘India Out’ initiative seeks to amplify animosity by instilling scepticism regarding India’s investments in the Maldives, the defence partnerships between the two nations, and India’s security provisions in the region.
indo-asean
ASEAN is India’s 4th largest trading partner. India signed an FTA (Free Trade Agreement) in goods in 2009 and an FTA in services and investments in 2014 with ASEAN.
ASEAN and India have also adopted a joint statement announcing the elevation of the existing Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
India provides financial assistance to the ASEAN nations through various mechanisms like ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund and ASEAN-India Green Fund.
India has been undertaking several connectivity projects like India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMT) Highway and the Kaladan Multimodal Project.
India and ASEAN countries recently gave a new vigour to their ties by establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Cambodia.
indo-bangladesh
Bangladesh is the 6th largest trade partner of India.
India has provided duty free quota free access to Bangladesh on all tariff lines except tobacco and alcohol under South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) since 2011.
The bilateral trade between two countries has jumped to USD 18.2 billion in 2021-22 as compared to USD 10.8 billion in 2020-21.
6 Border Haats (4 in Meghalaya and 2 in Tripura), have been approved by the Indian and Bangladesh governments.
India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers. The Ganga Waters Treaty signed in 1996 for sharing of waters of river Ganga during lean season (January 1-May 31).
Most recently, the Kushiyara Pact was signed that will benefit people in Southern Assam and the Sylhet region in Bangladesh.
India and Bangladesh share 4096.7 Km. of border, which touches Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and West Bengal. Transit and trade through inland waterways have been governed by a long standing and time-tested protocol between Bangladesh and India.
Agartala-Akhaura Rail-Link will be the first rail route between Northeast India and Bangladesh.
The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project, signed in 2018 , will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
India and Bangladesh have also signed the Framework of Understanding (FOU) on Cooperation in the Hydrocarbon Sector.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, Bangladesh accounted for the largest share of foreign tourist arrivals in India in 2020, including tens of thousands of people who come to the country for medical treatment.
indo-nepal
Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950?
The treaty talks about the reciprocal treatment of Indian and Nepali citizens in the two countries, in residence, property, business and movement.
It also establishes national treatment for both Indian and Nepalese businesses (i.e., once imported, foreign goods would be treated no differently than domestic goods).
It also gives Nepal access to weaponry from India.
The Gorkha Regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.
India from 2011, every year undertakes a joint military exercise with Nepal known as Surya Kiran.
There have been initiatives to promote people-to-people contacts in the area of art & culture, academics and media with different local bodies of Nepal.
India has signed three sister-city agreements for the twinning of Kathmandu-Varanasi, Lumbini-Bodhgaya and Janakpur-Ayodhya.
A huge number of Indians live in Nepal, these include businessmen, traders, doctors, engineers and labourers (including seasonal/migratory in the construction sector).
