International Relations/Diplomacy
Others
Western Sahara - The North African Gordian Knot

… Western Saharan conflict is one of the world's most underlooked conflicts .. it is crucial to indigenous Sahrawis and their kin in southern Morocco, northern Mauritania and western Algeria .. UN has so far failed in providing the groundwork for self-determination and decolonisation .. with European and American interests intertwined in the conflict, the North African stand-off must be resolved …

VIF Hosts the High Commissioner of South Africa and Ambassador of Sudan under its Connect Africa Programme

The High Commissioner of South Africa, His Excellency Mr. JS Ndebele, and the Ambassador of Sudan, His Excellency Mr Abdalla Omer Bashir Elhusain, gave presentations on the status of India's relations with their respective nations and their prospects as part of VIF's "Connect Africa" programme on February 20, 2023.

Talk on “Connectivity Strategies in the Indo- Pacific Region” by Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk by Prof. Gulshan Sachdeva on “Connectivity Strategies in the Indo- Pacific Region” on February 13, 2023. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF, chaired the session and made welcome remarks. Lt. Gen. R. K. Sawhney, Amb. Anil Wadhwa, Mr. Anil Devli, Mr. Kanav Monga, Dr. Udai Bhanu Singh, Brig. Vinod Anand and members from the strategic community participated in this deliberation. The talk was followed by a discussion and Q& A session.

Interaction with Puneet Roy Kundal, Joint Secretary, MEA

Shri Puneet Roy Kundal, Joint Secretary, MEA, former Ambassador of India in Tunisia and Consul General of India in Cape Town, highlighted Africa's strategic importance for India in his remarks. He mentions that MEA considers the relationship with Africa historical, forming the genesis of our current trade and people-to-people relations. India has always been present in Africa during its anti-colonial struggles or post-colonial nation-building or capacity-building initiatives.

The VIF Interaction with Visiting UK Delegation

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), New Delhi organized an interaction with visiting UK delegation on “The Future of Air Warfare: A UK Industry and Government Perspective” on 16 February 2023. The UK delegation was led by British High Commissioner to India Mr. Alex Ellis who was accompanied by the Rolls Royce senior executives and technical specialists; UK Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office officials; Industrial, technology and defence advisors.

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: January 2023

Vivekananda International Foundation commenced 2023 with renewed vigour in which seven expert groups met and two of which had interactions with ambassadors from Singapore and Italy. The areas of interest were China, Iran, US, Pakistan, Indo-Pacific, Europe and Climate Change in which key developments and perspectives were discusses and debated.

China in the Cyber Domain

China is developing cyber capacities in pursuit of its economic, political and strategic objectives. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China differs considerably from its Western counterparts in its approach to cyber and network operations. It thinks that cyber and network operations occur in an information domain. Along with the technical aspects of cyber operations, the PLA combines psychological warfare in manipulating public opinion, media warfare and the legal warfare that influences legal arguments to strengthen China’s diplomatic and security position.

Talk on “Internal Political Dynamics in the US: Implications on India and the World”

The Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organised a talk by Prof K. P. Vijayalakshmi on “Internal Political Dynamics in the US: Implications on India and the World” on 27 January 2023. Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF chaired the session and made welcome remarks. The talk was followed by a discussion and question and answer session.

Understanding Politics in Iraq post-October 2021 Elections

Iraq’s post-2003 political system is facing political and economic dysfunction mired by widespread corruption, economic inequalities and lack of improvement in living standards. The unstable political situation is further accentuated by the influence and control of external actors, i.e. Iran and the US. Intense turmoil and political stalemate stemming from political competition and rivalries among the key stakeholders delayed government formation and appointment of new President, Prime Minister and cabinet for almost a year since the last election on 10 October 2021.

Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: December 2022

In the month of December 2022 Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) organized a total of four expert group meetings with the first meeting of the newly formed Eurasia experts group. The focus of the groups in December being in the neighbourhood, West Asia and Central Asia.

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