Articles

The Frozen Conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh Flares up again

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

Nagorno Karabakh is one of the frozen conflicts in Eurasia for over a quarter century. However, on September 27 the two contenders and neighbours Azerbaijan and Armenia fired up the conflict yet again resulting in hundreds of casualties and attacks o....

October 23, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Russia , Article , India , Pakistan , Russia , Iran , Putin , Turkey , Oil , Azerbaijan , Erdogan , Armenia , CSTO , OSCE Minsk group

VIF Webinar on “International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)”

India’s trade with Central Asia is much below its true potential, and the factor behind is the lack of direct connectivity. The Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) remain crucial in this regard. Vivekananda In....

October 12, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Seminars , China , Russia , INSTC , Central Asia , Iran , Europe , BRI , North-South Transport Corridor

Why China is an Economic Landmine

Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

‘And China has deep pockets’ is a guaranteed statement one gets to hear in every seminar or discussion on China. But despite its moneyed and lucrative hues, many questions arise. How is China an economic behemoth, when economists and Chinese poli....

October 09, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , Article , Russia , NATO , BRI , State Owned Enterprises , WTO , Debt , Technology transfers , Cybersecurity Law , Bullet Trains

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: August 2020

Aayush Mohanty, Research Associate, VIF

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) strives to ensure relevant geo-strategic discussions by different Expert Groups covering global as well as regional issues. In that vein, the groups hosted by VIF not only focused on foreign relations bu....

September 09, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , Russia , South Asia , Srilanka , Germany , Task force , Regional Value Chain

Battleground Idlib: Russia and Turkey’s Interests amidst the COVID-19 crisis

Dr Yatharth Kachiar, Research Associate, VIF

The civil war in Syria similar to the continuing conflicts in Yemen and Libya has its roots in the 2011 Arab spring protests. The protracted conflict between President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces and a fragmented opposition has been diffused by Russia....

August 29, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Russia , Syria , Turkey , COVID-19 pandemic , Covid-19 Crisis , Battleground Idlib , Civil war , President Erdogan , Military Effort , Idlib Ordeal

White Mutiny or a Grey Revolution in Belarus -Only time will Tell

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

Who wants to give up power anyway? History of the long serving leaders abdicating before the time is ripe has rare entries even if the writing on the wall was rather clear. In last decade it has happened to several North African leaders as a consequ....

August 17, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Europe , Russia , Commentary , Russia , Eurasia , Election Commission , EU , COVID-19 , Belarus , Lukashenko

Tajikistan: Another Victim of Chinese Belligerence in Central Asia

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Research Associate , VIF Article

Introduction

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, China has shown increasing irredentist tendencies. From the South China Sea to its South and Central Asian neighbours, Chinese territorial encroachment has created fissures in b....

August 12, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , China , Russia , Central Asia , Kazakhstan , military base , Tajikistan , Kyrgyz Republic , Debt Trap , Pamir , Land grab , irredentism

Et Tu Caesar – Unending Plight of Syria!

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

“Et tu Brutus” has been synonymous with perfidy. But on June 17 when the USA invoked its “Caesar Act” against Syria and its embattled President Assad, pursuant to the geo-political games, Assad would have closed the caption by accusing Caesar....

June 29, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , Commentary , Russia , ISIS , Turkey , US Sanctions , refugees , Caesar Act , Hezoballah , China BRI , Assad

What is happening in Libya?

Amb K P Fabian Article

We have been coming across reports, more in the foreign media than in the Indian, of the military gains of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj at the expense of the Tobruk-based General Khali....

June 02, 2020 International Relations and Diplomacy , West Asia , Article , Russia , Libya , Turkey , Oil , Tripoli , Tobruk , GNA , Haftar

Introduction

Economic

IMF says pandemic may skew economic data and cause them to be less accurate