{"id":34697,"date":"2018-10-31T12:55:15","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T07:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=34697"},"modified":"2018-10-31T12:55:15","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T07:25:15","slug":"navigating-a-changing-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/navigating-a-changing-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating a changing world:\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/todays-paper\/tp-opinion\/navigating-a-changing-world\/article19825322.ece\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Navigating a changing world<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Context:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 14th edition of India-EU Summit held recently in New Delhi on October 6.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU was represented by President of the European Council, and President of the European Commission. While the India was represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The summit marked the 55th anniversary since the establishment of EU-India diplomatic relations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaders reviewed the wide-ranging cooperation under the India-EU Strategic Partnership<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Recognising that India and the EU are natural partners, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership based on shared principles and values of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights and territorial integrity of States.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Positive outcomes of summit:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and EU reaffirmed their commitment to a \u201crules-based\u201d international order and a \u201cmultipolar\u201d world.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is significant because U.S. moving towards reneging on several international deals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two sides have agreed to enhance cooperation at multilateral and bilateral interactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under the FTA, the issue of data adequacy and greater market access was discussed at length.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaders committed to work in a result-oriented and mutually beneficial manner to further strengthen the India-EU Strategic Partnership by deepening their trade cooperation, enhancing investment flows in both directions and broadening dialogue and engagement on global and regional issues, including climate change, as well as migration and the refugee crisis, and resolved to further strengthen their bilateral and multilateral cooperation in these areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaders commended the strong engagement of the European Investment Bank in India in a wide range of key sectors, in particular in the field of climate action and renewable energy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Foreign Policy and Security Cooperation:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to an open, free, secure, stable, peaceful and a<\/span><b>ccessible cyberspace<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, enabling economic growth and innovation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They agreed that India and the EU, as the world&#8217;s largest democracies, need to support a <\/span><b>rules-based international orde<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">r that upholds agreed international norms, global peace and stability, and encourages inclusive growth and <\/span><b>sustainable development<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in all parts of the inter-connected and multipolar world. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leaders strongly condemned the <\/span><b>recent terrorist attacks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in many parts of the world, underlining their common concern about the global threat posed by terrorism and extremism.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening global non-proliferation efforts as highlighted at the I<\/span><b>ndia-EU Non-proliferation and Disarmament Dialogue in New Delhi on 18 July 2017.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to enhance <\/span><b>maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and beyond. Both sides noted the recent joint manoeuvres <\/span><b>(PASSEX)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between the EU Naval Force and the Indian Navy off the coast of Somalia, as a successful example of naval cooperation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both sides agreed to enhance the <\/span><b>India-EU space cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including Earth observation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and the EU reiterated the importance they attach t<\/span><b>o human rights cooperation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including on gender equality and women empowerment in all spheres of life<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and the EU reaffirmed their support for the continued full implementation of the <\/span><b>Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding the Iranian nuclear issue<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regarding the situation in Syria, India and the EU reaffirmed the primacy of the <\/span><b>UN-led Geneva process<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and called for full support for the intra-Syrian talks with a view to promoting a political solution in Syria<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both sides underlined the importance of ASEM as an informal platform for connecting Asia and Europe. Both sides also agreed to give new impetus to ASEM in the run up to the next ASEM Summit to be hosted in Brussels, where the focus would be on tackling global challenges together.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Terrorism, Rohingya discussed:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adopting a Joint Statement on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, both sides agreed to take decisive and concerted actions against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities, including Hafeez Saeed, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim, Lashkar-e-Tayibba, Jaish-eMohammad, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Haqqani Network, Al Qaeda, ISIS (Da\u2019esh) and their affiliates.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and EU also discussed the Rohingya crisis and urged Myanmar to implement the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine Advisory Commission\u2019s recommendations<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and work with Bangladesh to enable the return of the displaced persons from all communities to Northern Rakhine State.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Deadlock areas:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The India-European Union Trade pact, the B<\/span><b>road-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA),<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have not progressed during the 14<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India-EU Summit held in New Delhi on October 6.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summit was unable to set in motion the stalled negotiations for concluding the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), or Broad Based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion of the FTA was the top most agenda of the European leaders, but India was more eager to discuss issues related to counter-terrorism and security.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Trade discussion:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the reported causes for the failed talks is a disagreement on whether the protection of foreign investments will be part of the BTIA or dealt with in a stand-alone treaty.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another issue holding up the trade talks has been the <\/span><b>EU not granting \u201cdata secure\u201d certification to India<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 a condition that facilitates the cross-border transfer of personal data, key to a number of companies\u2019 services, especially in the IT industry.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0India does not have a stand-alone data privacy law yet and the state recently went to great lengths to create a false dichotomy between development and privacy during the right to privacy hearings in the Supreme Court, including, by (unsuccessfully) arguing that privacy was an elitist concern.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other sticky points in the negotiations have been <\/span><b>India wanting a greater ease of movement of temporary skilled workers to provide services in the EU<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This EU and other developed nations have been historically reluctant about moving forward on this issue and this has become more challenging with the rise of populism and protectionism in Europe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU wanting <\/span><b>greater market access for its automobiles and its wines and spirits.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU is, commendably, at the forefront of protecting <\/span><b>citizens\u2019 right<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s as regards what happens to their data online.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would certainly be a shot in the arm for consumer rights and privacy standards in the digital age if India were to adopt and implement strict standards for handling data, an outcome desirable in itself.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>U.S\u2019s shifting position:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. President and consequent retreat of America from its leadership role in the West has provided a significant external stimulus to the EU\u2019s identity shift.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mr. Trump has said he is going to \u201cdecertify\u201d the nuclear deal with Iran \u2014 a deal that the EU is keen to uphold \u2014 and his administration has given notice of intent to withdraw from the Paris Accord.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why India needs to cement its bond with the EU?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India and the EU should continue to welcome each other\u2019s leadership roles in the world, because of commonly shared values.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU is <\/span><b>India\u2019s largest trade partner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and it is also, like India, wary of China\u2019s political (the summit declaration makes a reference to freedom of navigation principles) and economic dominance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU is concerned about China flooding global markets with inexpensive steel and its response to China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative has been lukewarm, but the strength of China\u2019s relationship with EU member states themselves is heterogeneous, with China trying to make inroads into Eastern and Central Europe through infrastructure investments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With around \u20ac100 billion in bilateral goods and services trade last year, India and the EU have a lot to gain from a trade deal.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will certainly pay for both India and the EU to keep each other close as they feel their way around the emerging international order.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The European Union and India are natural partners. Every year, millions of Europeans come to India to discover this great country\u2019s many marvels. There is even a local cricket team in my native Luxembourg, made up largely of Indian players.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is one of the world\u2019s fastest growing economies; the EU is the world\u2019s biggest open market and the world\u2019s second largest economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the world\u2019s two largest democracies, it is now time for Europe and India to infuse their relationship with a liberal vision for a transformed global order<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Navigating a changing world:\u00a0 Context: The 14th edition of India-EU Summit held recently in New Delhi on October 6. Introduction: The EU was represented by President of the European Council, and President of the European Commission. While the India was represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit marked the 55th anniversary since the establishment&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/navigating-a-changing-world\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Navigating a changing world:\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-test-1","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704612535},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34697","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34697"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34697\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34697"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34697"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34697"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}