... their withdrawal.
The NATO withdrawal creates significant hurdles for regional stability and a power vacuum in Central Asia. There are several players, both internal and external, who are seeking to fill the void left by the Americans and their allies. Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey, China and Russia seem poised to play the next “
great game
” in the so-called “
graveyard of empires
”. Some of these states have a vested interest in the stability of Afghanistan to ensure regional security and foster economic interests as well as mitigate ...
... calculus 2.0. (At the time of penning this account, India had not tallied, its federal election results).... ... India’s punitive cross-border air-strikes into Pakistan, presenting itself as arguably swift comeuppance ... ... being feted with highest civilian honors, first from Russia and latest by the UAE, for coveted contribution ... ... diminish South Asian countries’ trade dependence upon China and to shrug-off the increasingly indomitable ... ... prospective Afghan political future and the fomenting US-Iran crisis in the Middle East. Furthermore, the new ...
... should rescue it from the burden of long-standing gas cooperation problems. The pipeline could carry gas from four Iranian fields being developed with Gazprom’s participation, and might also supply Iranian gas from the Persian Gulf in exchange for Russian gas to be sent to northern Iran via the Caspian Sea.
There is the risk that India, ever sceptical of an energy partnership with Pakistan, might eventually abandon the project. Should this happen, China could potentially step in. If Beijing manages to seize the initiative from New Delhi in the Iranian offshore pipeline project, then China and Pakistan will be able to use the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to supply gas to the former’s ...
... countries was discussed. The main result of these discussions was that Pakistan and India signed memorandums of obligation to join as full members.... ... return to the global stage following the removal of UN sanctions, Iran’s reception at the summit did not live up to its expectations.... ... regional collaboration and integration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Islamic Republic ... ... country’s accession. But not enough support materialized. China had previously announced its support for Iran’s membership ...
