RISING SUN
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SCO membership puts India at the heart of Eurasian geo-politics
The membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has pitched India right into the middle of Eurasian region, opening up opportunities in mineral resources and power for India’s energy needs to push economic growth besides enabling Delhi to gain experience from the group’s anti-terror mechanism.
As India gets active in SCO after much anticipated membership this June -- Uzbekistan played a key role in India’s entry into SCO along with neighbouring Kazakhstan – and the two countries could be Delhi’s key pillars in harnessing untapped potential of the region. India also has cushion of its old ally Russia in SCO assisting its forays in into Central Asia. Moscow had taken lead in pushing India's entry into SCO.
India, through SCO, will seek to benefit from maintaining a regional presence, observing regional trends in security, energy, trade, connectivity and cultural interests.
Delhi is likely to gain from SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure based in Tashkent and run by 30 professionals analysing key intelligence inputs on the movement of terror outfits, drug-traffickers, cyber security threats and public information in the region. Besides, participation in SCO’s counter-terror exercises and military drills could be beneficial to the Indian military.
SCO would help to further India's goals in Afghanistan in the backdrop stepping up its presence in the landlocked country. Afghanistan has an observer status in SCO and some members of SCO in Central Asia border Afghanistan.
An all-round economic engagement with Central Asia can be the answer to New Delhi’s multiple objectives -- help maintain India’s positive political influence in the region; meet India’s energy requirements; enhance and bring better efficiency in Indian manufacturing through strategic material sourcing; develop new markets for Indian products and services and for mutual prosperity, promoting and strengthening people to people contact.
The long-term challenge is the creation of stable and competitive goods and energy supply networks for not just trade but also for the supply of oil and gas from the region. India is also considering dream projects like oil pipelines from Kazakhstan and Russia to India where the SCO membership can come handy.
Simultaneously, India is entering into the Eurasia integration path by seeking an early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in order to enable smooth flow of goods, raw-materials, capital and technology.
Conflict interests would intersect at the SCO forum, ranging from regional and global issues to combating terrorism to connectivity projects.
Profiting in terms of energy security would be critical, but the concept of a SCO “Energy Club” will gain full meaning only if Iran joins the grouping eventually.
The commissioning of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) along with the proposed Chabahar project would enable Indian goods to gain better access to the untapped markets of the entire Eurasian region including Russia’s Far East.
India's immediate benefit from joining SCO will be through improved diplomatic access to Central Asia, part of India's near abroad. India's intent to improve ties with the region was evident from the fact the Prime Minister Modi was the first Indian PM to visit all Central Asian states in 2015.
"The addition of India's 1.25 billion people would provide fresh excitement, for the SCO will now represent the voice of three billion people – half the world’s population," said P Stobdan, foremost expert on the region and India's former envoy to Kyrgyzstan.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...eo-politics/articleshow/60966808.cms?from=mdr
The membership of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has pitched India right into the middle of Eurasian region, opening up opportunities in mineral resources and power for India’s energy needs to push economic growth besides enabling Delhi to gain experience from the group’s anti-terror mechanism.
As India gets active in SCO after much anticipated membership this June -- Uzbekistan played a key role in India’s entry into SCO along with neighbouring Kazakhstan – and the two countries could be Delhi’s key pillars in harnessing untapped potential of the region. India also has cushion of its old ally Russia in SCO assisting its forays in into Central Asia. Moscow had taken lead in pushing India's entry into SCO.
India, through SCO, will seek to benefit from maintaining a regional presence, observing regional trends in security, energy, trade, connectivity and cultural interests.
Delhi is likely to gain from SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure based in Tashkent and run by 30 professionals analysing key intelligence inputs on the movement of terror outfits, drug-traffickers, cyber security threats and public information in the region. Besides, participation in SCO’s counter-terror exercises and military drills could be beneficial to the Indian military.
SCO would help to further India's goals in Afghanistan in the backdrop stepping up its presence in the landlocked country. Afghanistan has an observer status in SCO and some members of SCO in Central Asia border Afghanistan.
An all-round economic engagement with Central Asia can be the answer to New Delhi’s multiple objectives -- help maintain India’s positive political influence in the region; meet India’s energy requirements; enhance and bring better efficiency in Indian manufacturing through strategic material sourcing; develop new markets for Indian products and services and for mutual prosperity, promoting and strengthening people to people contact.
The long-term challenge is the creation of stable and competitive goods and energy supply networks for not just trade but also for the supply of oil and gas from the region. India is also considering dream projects like oil pipelines from Kazakhstan and Russia to India where the SCO membership can come handy.
Simultaneously, India is entering into the Eurasia integration path by seeking an early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in order to enable smooth flow of goods, raw-materials, capital and technology.
Conflict interests would intersect at the SCO forum, ranging from regional and global issues to combating terrorism to connectivity projects.
Profiting in terms of energy security would be critical, but the concept of a SCO “Energy Club” will gain full meaning only if Iran joins the grouping eventually.
The commissioning of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) along with the proposed Chabahar project would enable Indian goods to gain better access to the untapped markets of the entire Eurasian region including Russia’s Far East.
India's immediate benefit from joining SCO will be through improved diplomatic access to Central Asia, part of India's near abroad. India's intent to improve ties with the region was evident from the fact the Prime Minister Modi was the first Indian PM to visit all Central Asian states in 2015.
"The addition of India's 1.25 billion people would provide fresh excitement, for the SCO will now represent the voice of three billion people – half the world’s population," said P Stobdan, foremost expert on the region and India's former envoy to Kyrgyzstan.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...eo-politics/articleshow/60966808.cms?from=mdr
