India's Bilateral Relations

Bilateral Relations

• The Union Cabinet approved protocol for a Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between the Department of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic
• JETCO is a bilateral mechanism facilitating economic collaboration and trade, serving as a platform for discussions aiming to strengthen economic ties and address trade challenges
• The protocol can serve as a gateway to Latin American and Caribbean markets
• India imports gold and exports pharmaceuticals and vehicles to the Dominican Republic
• India has JETCO agreements with multiple countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Thailand

India-Japan Relations

• Shared values include democracy, freedom, and the rule of law
• The India-Japan Vision 2025 aims to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region
• The relationship elevated to Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014, fostering inclusive, rule-based international order in Indo-Pacific via "2+2" Dialogue as well as Free and Open Indo-Pacific, or FOIP
• Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement in place
• Military exercises include Dharma Guardian (army), Veer Guardian (Air Force), MILAN, JIMEX (Navy) and Malabar
• Japan supports strategic connectivity linking South Asia to Southeast Asia through synergy between the "Act East" policy and "Partnership for Quality Infrastructure"
• Japan helped during India's Balance of Payments (BOP) crisis in 1991
• Bilateral trade exceeded US $20 billion in 2022
• Japan was the 4th largest investor in India in FY2020
• CEPA (Comprehensive and Economic Partnership Agreement) in effect since 2011
• Culture exhibits Buddhism principles
• Narratives of AHWIN (Japan's) for AYUSHMAN Bharat is exhibited
• India is the largest recipient of Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loan for decades. (Delhi Metro, Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, High-Speed Railways)
• India and Japan are both are members of G4, Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, Supply chain resilience initiatives, and QUAD
• LUPEX Mission: India's lunar lander and Japanese rover will explore the moon
• India-Japan Nuclear Deal 2016: will help India build six nuclear reactors in southern India
• Cooperation in promoting joint projects for digital transformation (5G, Open RAN, Telecom Network Security, submarine cable systems, Quantum Communications)

India-Maldives Relations

• India and the Maldives have a historical connection which developed after the Maldives gained independence from British colonial rule in 1965
• Joint military exercises like "Ekuverin," "Dosti," "Ekatha," and "Operation Shield" illustrate the security partnership
• India provides training opportunities for the Maldivian National Defence Force
• Operation Cactus (1988): Indian Armed Forces aided the Maldivian government in thwarting a coup attempt. Operation Neer (2014) supports drinking water resources. Op Sanjeevani supplies medicines against COVID-19
• India is the Maldives' second-largest trading partner, with companies involved in projects like the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP)
• Indian credit lines support infrastructure development in the Maldives, such as in the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Development
• India provides grant assistance, including 100 million Rufiyaa, for projects like the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) scheme
• Developing of a sports complex in Gahdhoo and academic partnerships between Maldives National University and Cochin University of Science and Technology
• A drug detoxification and rehabilitation center in Addu was built with Indian assistance
• The growing strategic presence of China in the Maldives is a factor of concern for India
• The Maldives has gained significance in China's "String of Pearls" construct in South Asia

Migration And Mobility Agreement

• The Union Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval to the Migration and Mobility Agreement between India and Italy
• The agreement aims to enhance people-to-people contacts and promote the mobility of students, workers, business people and young professionals, as well as strengthening cooperation regarding irregular migration
• Granting of temporary residence in Italy for up to 12 months to Indian students seeking initial professional experience after completing academic or vocational training
• Reserves quotas for non-seasonal and seasonal Indian workers under the existing labor mobility pathways
• Cooperates on combating irregular migration
• India and Italy established political relations in 1947 and have celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations

Innovation Handshake

• India and the United States officially launched the "Innovation Handshake" agenda to deepen bilateral ties in technology
• The "Innovation Handshake" signals a commitment to strengthen the start-up ecosystem and promote cooperation in Critical and Emerging Technologies
• Developed under the US-India Commercial Dialogue, aims to connect dynamic start-up ecosystems, address regulatory hurdles, and promote innovation and job growth
• Initiative focuses on priority sectors identified under the US-India Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) to foster a tech partnership

Consulate in Seattle

• India opened its sixth consulate in Seattle after seven years of planning
• Seattle is a major hub for technology companies as Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing
• Embassy represents one country's government in another from the capital with an ambassador
• Consulates are smaller offices typically located in major cities, focusing on providing consular services

Taiwan-India

• Taiwan and India are discussing the hiring of tens of thousands of Indian workers, to fill labor shortages in sectors like manufacturing as their population ages
• India and Germany have a ‘Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership' to facilitate mobility and employment between India and Germany
• A Pact with Australia exists
• Taiwan announced the opening of its third representative office in India, in Mumbai
• Despite not having formal diplomatic relations, India and Taiwan have made progress in various domains such as economics, trade, and technology

India-Japan Fund (IJF)

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has partnered with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to establish a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF)
• Both Government of India (Gol), and JBIC are acting as primary investors
• Collaboration reflects a significant joint effort between India and Japan in the field of climate- and environmental stability
• The IJF is NIIF's first bilateral fund. The Gol contributes 49% of the total fund, while JBIC contributes the remaining 51%
• Goal is to invest in in environmental sustainability and low-carbon emission strategies, and aims to become a preferred partner for encouraging increased Japanese investments in India

India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC)

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince recently chaired the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC)
• The council, established in 2019, aims to enhance the relationship between the two countries
• Two main pillars: Committee on Political, Security, Social, and Cultural Cooperation - Committee on Economy and Investments
• The committees have four levels of engagement, including summit-level meetings, ministerial-level discussions, senior officials' meetings, and joint working groups
• It expedite the $50-billion West Coast refinery project and identified areas such as energy, defense, semiconductor, and space for intensified cooperation

India-South Korea partnership in Indo-Pacific

• An opportunity exists for India to enhance its strategic partnership with South Korea, particularly in the Indo-Pacific following The Camp David summit between the United States, Japan
• the Indo-Pacific is a region that encompasses the Indian Ocean as well as the western and central parts of the Pacific Ocean
• Significant for geopolitical and economic importance has several countries with strategic interests such as India, China, and the United States
• India-South Korea relations are strong and include high-level visits with the aim to facilitate coordinating India's 'Act East Policy' with South Korea's 'New Southern Policy'
• Upgraded to special strategic partnership in 2015 with defense cooperation
• 2022 bilateral trade is over USD 27 bn with target USD 50 bn by 2030
• India-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, is in effect since 2010
• Korea plus initiative to promote Korean investments in India, joint ventures
• Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation commenced 2011
• Joint military exercises, defense equipment procurement
• Buddhist cultural connection texts from 13th CE mention a Princess from Ayodhya marrying a Korean Prince in 48 AD
• Cultural festivals are held showcasing India’s arts and heritage, both with a significant ex-patriate presence

India and its Neighbourhood Relations

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) plans to enhance the operational capacity of the defence forces along the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh by adapting an indigenous technology called "Rejupave"
• Rejupave is a bio-oil-based asphalt modifier that reduces the heating requirement of bituminous mixes and preserves their temperature during transit
• Successful applied at the world's highest Sela road tunnel and LDY Road section near the China border, is developed using a bio-based eco-friendly product with 100% biooil.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar
• The FMR, implemented in 2018, permits residents on both sides of the 1,643 km India-Myanmar border to travel up to 16 km into each other's territory without a visa using a border pass, and includes areas of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The King of Bhutan has unveiled the 'Gelephu Smartcity Project,' a mega international city near the Indian border covering 1,000 square kilometres with the aim to connect South Asia with Southeast Asia. The region have different laws to attract foreign investment and an India-Bhutan railway line.
• The India-Bhutan Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1949), revised in 2007, is the foundation. India and Bhutan established formal diplomatic relations in 1968. Strategic location safeguarding the Siliguri Corridor, otherwise known as Chicken's Neck with lack of diplomacy as China
• economic alliance as trading partner, trade, commerce, and transit agreement of 2016
• India supports Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan

India-China Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA)

• The India-China Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA), signed in 1993
• The LAC separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory, in three sectors which lies along the McMahon Line
• Was signed in 1993 to maintain peace on the Line of Actual Control (LAC
• Agreeing to address troop movements and mapping.
• The Border Defence Cooperation Agreement was signed in 2013 following the Depsang Valley incident

Operation Karuna (Myanmar)

• This was initiated to to provide support in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha
• Bangladesh and Myanmar are prone to cyclone because they are found along the North Indian Ocean cyclone basin
• known for high sea surface temperatures, which provide the necessary energy for the intensification of tropical cyclones

Protocols, Conventions, Treates, Agreements, Reports

• The UDHR's 75th anniversary marked the human search Rights & dignity
• aspects of UDHR as a global framework guaranteeing the rights and freedoms, recognizing inherent dignity
• India was represented by Hansa Mehta, and others, who made alterating "All men are born free and equal" to ”human beings"
• coordinating humanitarian actors through the UN agencies of OCHA,UNRWA.

Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe

• The Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) had limited conventional armed troops. NATO allies condemned Russia's decision to withdraw from the treaty
• established limits on conventional military equipment in Europe, and is referred to as the "cornerstone of European security"

Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)

• The US-led framework aims to solidify relationships a crucial economic and trade matters that concern the reigon and launch agreements with countries like India, the US, and 12 other members, to aims to reduce dependence on China and enhance manufacturing
• Supply chain resilience refers to the capacity of a supply chain to adapt, recover, and withstand disruptions and fortify global supply chains
• Dimensions include enhancing economic engagement, cooperation with priorities
• Countries can have dependence of participating countries on China, Centrality of SEA, Potential non-starter, Taxation issues, Lack of common grounds for countries

Resilient And Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement (RISE) INITIATIVE

• Launched by the World Bank and Japan, the initiative is designed to aid clean-energy production
• emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in promoting economic growth in these countries while strengthening clean energy and critical minerals supply chains.

Vienna Convention

• The Vienna Convention defines the international diplomatic relations through principles on the basis of nations treat other diplomatic relations
• Treaty provides a framework for diplomacy, termination channels, and relationships

Abraham Accords

• Brokered by the USA, and involves a normalization agreement between between the UAE and Israel to establish formal diplomatic relations as well as partners such as Sudan, and Morocco Regional connectivity improved, specifically to UAE, and agreements are made with various entities

The Quad

• The quadrilateral security dialogue is made of nations which include America, Japan, India, and Australia - members finding common need for stability Engages with maritime and other economic projects within the countries, and traces goals to 2004 in relation to the tsunami

Wassenaar Arrangement

• India's plenary for a year on January 2023, and helps exchange information and standard setting.
• has 42 members which exclude China

Missile Technology Control Regime

• the regime extended to on the proliferation of missiles for the delivery of all types of weapons of mass destruction. is not a legally-binding treaty

UNCLOS

• UNCLOS also zones the offshore areas through the five concentrated zones
• no UN interference in areas

Antarctic Treaty System

• regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, establishing freedom of scientific investigation, and banning military activity
• The treaty aims at prohibiting nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes in Antarctica

Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

• Is known as The Nuclear Weapon Ban has the aim to comprehensivley ban the use of weapons
• Open to members and has provisions dealing with weapon elimination

United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation

• Applies to international commercial settlement agreements and known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation

International Sanctions

• These are measures of coercion and can be diplomatic or military in measure - usually to breaches of peace.

Outer Space Treaty

• Explores space for the benefit of nation and does not allow sovereignty in space. It bans Nuclear weapons as well.

Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)

• The ATT seeks to prevent and eradicate the illicit trade, and India has not joined it.

India's 'Act East' Policy

• The Initiative by India to support relations in Asia Pacific, and to promote cooperation that helps interaction of the North-Eastern Indian states that helps economics