Contemporary Geopolitics

India and Australia on Wednesday inked the ‘Terms of Reference’ (ToR) for the conduct of the navy to navy talks under the framework of the ‘Joint Guidance for the India - Australia Navy to Navy Relationship’ document. In June last year, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian Counterpart, Scott Morrison. The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) allows militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies, besides facilitating scaling up of overall defence cooperation. "The document would be pivotal in consolidating the shared commitment to promote peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," The ToR set out the broad objective of achieving deeper mutual understanding, trust and transparency, imp...

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again referred to the issue of Kashmir in his address to world leaders at the high-level UN General Assembly session. Last year also, Mr. Erdogan in his pre-recorded video statement to the General Debate had made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir. India at that time termed it as “completely unacceptable”, saying Turkey should learn to respect the sovereignty of other nations and reflect on its own policies more deeply. Mr. Erdogan in his address to the General Debate on Tuesday said: “We maintain our stance in favour of solving the ongoing problem in Kashmir for 74 years, through dialogue between the parties and within the framework of relevant United Nations resolutions.” The Turkish President, a close ally of Pakistan, had repeatedly raised the issue of Kashmir in his address to the high-level General Debate. Last year also, Erdogan in his pre-recorded video statement to the General debate had made a reference to Jammu and Kashmir. India at ...

The United States has subtly hinted that it has been in talks with New Delhi for using airfields in India as “staging areas” for carrying out aerial surveillance and launching attacks on terrorists in and around Afghanistan.  President Joe Biden’s administration is “deeply engaged” with New Delhi, the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said, testifying before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives – the lower house of the American Congress. In the strategic circles in both the US and India, there are now more voices favoring the idea of India providing a military base to the US Navy, preferably somewhere in the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands. Since the US Navy is said to be planning to deploy 60 percent of its surface ships in the Indo-Pacific, it wants safe territories in or the adjoining Arabian Sea, Andaman & Nicobar, and the Bay of Bengal for refueling and other logistic support. In fact, the Pentagon has been looking for base opportunities...