Articles | Vivekananda International Foundation

Islamic State’s Attack on Border Outpost in Tajikistan

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Commentary

In the night of 6 November 2019, a deadly attack on a Tajik outpost near to Uzbekistan’s border took place. According to the Tajik authorities, the clash between the attackers and security forces claimed 17 lives. Tajik authorities also claimed tha....

November 15, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , Terror attack in Tajikistan , IS threat in Central Asia

US-Iran Conflict and its Impact on Central Asia: An Assessment

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

The Central Asian Republics (CARs) and The Islamic Republic of Iran have followed a mutual policy of increased political and economic cooperation in recent times, which is primarily based on age-old ethnocultural and historical ties between the two r....

November 04, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Article , Iran and the CARs , SCO and Iran , US-Iran issues

India and Mongolia – The Spiritual Neighbours

Amb Anil Trigunayat, Distinguished Fellow, VIF Commentary

Ironically, when one thinks of Mongolia the utter winter, cold climate, distance and exotic nature claim the mind-space. This is one country where Indians are loved probably due to the Buddhist connection and Himalayan heritage of the Mongolian peopl....

September 30, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , India-Mongolia bond , Indo-Mongolia spiritual-material cooperation

The ongoing Political Struggle in Kyrgyzstan: Who is Responsible?

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Commentary

Kyrgyzstan is a small Central Asian Republic which has perceived political turmoil since it became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is the only Central Asian republic which has been practicing democracy; however, it has ....

September 20, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , Kyrgyz politics , political violence in Kyrgyzstan , Kyrgyz presidency rivalry

Recurring Clashes on Tajik-Kyrgyz Border over Raising of National Flags

Dr Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow, VIF Commentary

On 22 July 2019, the border authorities of Tajikistan informed that a skirmish took place on the border with Kyrgyzstan which resulted in killing of one local resident and several others wounded. According to the Tajik media, this violent conflict is....

July 29, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , Tajik-Kyrgyz spat , Border tension in Fergana Valley , border disputes in Central Asia

Crisis in the Inflammable Gulf

Amb K P Fabian Commentary

We are witnessing a rapidly aggravating crisis that can result in the outbreak of hostilities with consequences, unintended, uncontrollable and possibly frightful for the region and the rest of the world. We have not seen any serious effort on the p....

July 25, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , US-Iran-UK confrontation , shipping in Strait of Hormuz , Gulf crisis

Chabahar Port - A Rethink is Needed

Rajesh Soami Commentary

Russian, Chinese, American and Pakistani representatives met in Beijing on the 10th and 11th of July to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. This was the third such consultation between Russia, China and the US, and the first in which Pakistan parti....

July 19, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , Chabahar Port , US Sanctions , Iran’s changed priorities

More Needs to be Done to Revitalise Chabahar Project

Gautam Sen Commentary

The latest Govt. of India`s regular budget of 2019-20, has a meagre allocation of Rs. 45 crore for the development and operationalising of Chahbahar Port infrastructure under the Ministry of External Affairs line of credit to finance this programme, ....

July 10, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , Chabahar Port , India-Iran relations , India’s access to Central Asia

India and SCO Summit at Bishkek and Beyond

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF Commentary

India has completed two years as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and therefore it would be useful to assess the worth and utility of being a member of such an organization. There is no gainsaying in the fact that it is ....

June 24, 2019 International Relations and Diplomacy , Central Asia , Commentary , SCO Summit 2019 , SCO leaders’ meeting , Indo-CARs relations