Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

In a knife-edge election, Joseph Boakai made a stunning comeback and is set to become Liberia’s new leader. With 50.9 percent of the vote, the 78-year-old leader, a former vice president, saw a close victory over his main rival, incumbent Weah, who

December 18, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Africa, Article, democracy, Liberia, Africa, election, UN, Civil war, coup, Nigeria, Sirileaf

Forgotten Dimensions of Strategy: Russia- Ukraine War - Lessons for India

Amb D.B. Venkatesh Varma, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

(Given below is the modified version of presentation given by Amb. DB Venkatesh Varma during Prof. Matinuzzaman Zuberi Memorial Lecture, Jawaharlal Nehru University on 7 December 2023.)

Kissinger Syndrome

By the time I joined th

December 15, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Russia, Article, Palestine, India, Russia, Putin, PM Modi, Ukraine, Policy, Lessons, Biden, Zelensky, Kautilya, Grand strategy, Zuberi

Nuclear talks and Geopolitical Risk in East Asia

Prof Rajaram Panda

Not everything is going well in the security arena in the Northeast Asian region as the security scenario is getting fragile at a faster rate. As North Korea continue to advance towards more sophisticated weapons system, Beijing ups the ante on the T

December 14, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, Taiwan Strait, Taiwan card, nuclear extended deterrence, KINU survey, geopolitical risk, Washington Declaration

Venezuela-Guyana Standoff-another possible flash point in Latin America

Amb JK Tripathi

On Sunday, 3rd December, Venezuela declared, through a five- question referendum, that the Essequibo province of its eastern neighbour Guyana belonged to Venezuela following which the Venezuelan parliament passed a resolution on 6th December to annex

December 13, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Commentary, US, Oil, Guyana, Maduro, Territory dispute

Legal Aspects of General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited F414 Engines Deal

Kavya R. Krishnan

Introduction

In a path-breaking defence deal, US’s General Electric (GE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on 22nd June 2023, to co-produce F414 engines for Tejas Light Combat

December 11, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Technological and Scientific Studies, Article, Defence, HAL, Jet Engines, US relations, US export laws

Interregnum before a new world order

Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

About 90 years ago, in the wake of the Great Depression and the rise of fascism in Europe, the Italian politician-philosopher Antonio Gramsci wrote of the crisis in world affairs: “The old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a

December 08, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Great Depression, New World Order, Cold War politics

Is the Sign of Thaw in Japan-China Ties Sincere and Real?

Prof Rajaram Panda

Introduction

The US President hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, California on 16 November 2023. It was an opportunity for the leaders of many leading countries such as the US, Japan and China to

December 06, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, APEC, Export Control, seafood import restrictions, Fukushima waste water release, fentanyl production, panda diplomacy, Xi-Kishida meet

Tibet: The Fulcrum of China’s Strategic Policy in the Himalayas

Jayadeva Ranade

China is positioning Tibet as the fulcrum for its strategic policy in the sensitive Himalayan region thus directly and adversely impacting India. Beijing appears to have assessed that it has sufficiently calmed the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to fe

December 05, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Neighbourhood Studies, China, Tibet, Article, Nepal, PLA, LAC, Tibet, TAR, Wang Yi, Wakhan Corridor, Nyingchi, Golmud airport, mega dam

What should be India’s Approach at COP 28?

Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF

The 28th meeting of Conference of Parties (COP 28) of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) is being convened in Dubai from 30th Nov to 12 Dec 2023. The meeting is being held in the backdrop of IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (SAR), whi

December 01, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Climate Change, Article, India, China, CBDR, climate justice, COP28, VIF Report

China’s Central Finance and Economic Affairs Work Conference Reveals Emphasis on Security and Development

Jayadeva Ranade

China’s long awaited Central Financial Work Conference was held in Beijing on October 30-31, 2023, and was the first held since the establishment of the Central Financial Commission and the Central Financial Working Committee. With the decline in C

November 24, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, China, Article, China, economy, CCP, Li Qiang, CFWC, Infrastructure projects