INDIA AND PAKISTAN

India and Neighbors:

1     Overview:

·       India gives highest priority to her neighbors.

·       India want peaceful periphery to achieve multifarious development goals

·       India believe that  stable and prosperous South Asia will contribute to India’ own prosperity

·       In South Asia=-India share border with none except Myanmar and Bangladesh

·       SAARC is tool of liason (last summit held in Maldives Nov 2011)

·       Dr. Mohan Singh articulated India’s vision of regional economic integration based on enhanced intra-regional trade, investment flows and interconnectivity

·       India has virtually eliminated the sensitive list of items of trade

·       Taken various initiatives for Capacity Building

·       Fostered a sense of a South Asian Identity through SAARC process

·       Enhanced mutual confidence in multiple areas

2     India and Pakistan:

2.1Overview:

Ø Most complex among all neighbors- due to across border terrorism

Ø Composite Dialogue between India and Pakistan from 2004 to 2008v addressed all outstanding issues. It had completed four rounds and the fifth round was in progress when it was paused in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008. Achievement of composite dialogue:

ü enhanced people to people contacts through bus and train services;

ü revival of the Bilateral Joint Commission after 16 years;

ü setting up of the Judicial Committee to look into the humanitarian issue of civilian prisoners/fishermen held in each other’s jails

ü  growth in bilateral trade by 550% between year 2003-04 and 2007-08

Ø Trust Deficit Increased due to Terrorist Attacks

Ø But Efforts are put to revive composite dialogue on sideline of SAARC summit

2.2Resumed Dialogue

Ø Dialogue resumed on the sidelines of the SAARC summit, hence foreign secretaries of both countries to discuss the issues further. Even PM of both countries met informally at Mohali to watch Indo-Pak World Cup Semi Final

Ø Their external affair minister Khar too visited India

Ø Secretary, Water of Govt. Of India and counterpart also met in New Delhi to discuss Wullar Barrage/ Tulbul Navigation Project

Ø Home Secretary- Counter Terrorism, Narcotics Control and Humanitarian Issues

Ø Defense wala discussed Siachen

Ø Surveyor General of India- Sir Creek

2.3Economic Relation:

India awarded MFN status to Pakistan in 1996. In reciprocity, Pak has given the same status to India now (2012)

Ø A significant step in bilateral economic relations. Trade and investment across the border will create lobbies and interest groups that would engage each other and put pressure on both govt. to solve difficult problems such as Kashmir, Terrorism, Afghanistan and Nuclear Security

Ø Both courtiers liberalized the VISA regime

Ø Earlier large no. of tariff and non tariff barrier had prevented the trade- now trade will boost due to geographical and cultural proximity of both countries

Ø Transportation cost will also decrease (earlier the goods shipped though Dubai OR Singapore)

Ø More trade will provide more varieties to both countries

Ø At the same time, India has allowed FDI from Pakistan.

Ø To monitor the progress, Govt. should make a committee with representative from Private sector, Govt. and Independent experts.

Agreement between In India and Canada:

Agreement of Social Security:

It provides for avoidance of double social security contributions by detached workers (Employed persons who are subject to the legislation of a country and who are sent by their employers to work in the territory of another country) from the host country legislation, portability of contributions at the time of relocation and totalization of the periods of contributions for determining eligibility to a benefit.

MOU on cooperation in Information Communication Technology and Electronics:

Ø Provide the necessary framework for cooperation in the ICTE sector for establishing a strong and effective B2B partnerships and cooperation, raising awareness among private and public sector stakeholders on ICTE opportunities in Canada and India.

MOU between DRDO and York University, Canada:

Ø In area of Joint Research and development in defence Science & Technology. 

Cold War lessons for India and Pakistan:

Russian experts insist that continuous engagement even in the face of deep mistrust is the key to nuclear arms control

Russia’s missiles may still be trained on the United States but it is the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan that worries Russian experts more than American nukes.

Scholars gathered at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (Imemo), a top-rated Russian think-tank advising the Kremlin, rang alarm bells about the threat of nuclear war in South Asia, which today is greater than anywhere else in the world

Pakistan’s refusal to make a no-first-use pledge, its development of tactical nuclear weapons, India’s missile defence programme were all seen as factors driving the nuclear arms race in the region and heightening the risk of nuclear conflict.

At the same time, it was felt that India and Pakistan are well positioned to embark on bilateral arms control because, much like the United States and the erstwhile Soviet Union, they have comparable nuclear forces meant to contain each other.