(Congress President Rahul Gandhi (R) and CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury) The prospect of an electoral adjustment between the Congress Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West Bengal for the 2019 poll does not come as surprise but it has a refreshing look of realism and pragmatism, nonetheless. The top leaderships of …
Turkey condemns China on Uighur problem
(Worshippers at the famous Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang) Turkey has broken its silence on the controversial topic of the human rights situation in Xinjiang, China, with the Foreign Ministry issuing an exceptionally strongly worded statement on February 9. The statement alleges that the violation of the fundamental human rights of “Uighur Turks and …
Iraq seeks US presence but rejects occupation
(Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif personally briefs Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Grand Ayatollah Bashir Hussain Najafi at his home in Najaf, regarding the Iran nuclear deal, before a visit to the Imam Ali shrine in the city, 27 July 2015.) The US President Donald Trump has been struggling to terminate America’s ‘endless wars’, but without much …
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The US must tap into intra-Afghan dialogue
The two-day conference of mainstream Afghan politicians and Taliban representatives in Moscow on February 5-6 has become a landmark event in the peace process. Principally, it signifies the commencement of the ‘intra-Afghan dialogue,’ a process that was struggling to be born. Continue reading
Who’s afraid of intra-Afghan dialogue?
The two-day conference of mainstream Afghan politicians and Taliban representatives in Moscow on February 5-6 becomes a landmark event in the peace process. Principally, it signifies the commencement of the ‘intra-Afghan dialogue’, a process that was struggling to be born. This process can be expected to galvanise the Afghan peace talks. Some of the most …
‘America First’ means nuclear superiority
(Russia test-fires enhanced version of RS-24 Yars thermonuclear intercontinental missile, 6th February, 2019.) The US president’s annual State of the Union address traditionally focuses on domestic issues but it also throws some light on the foreign policy priorities. President Trump’s speech on Tuesday adhered to the pattern and if anything, the portions on foreign policy …
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Post-cold war era barely lasted 1144 days
(‘End of Cold War’ monument in Malta marking Bush-Gorbachev summit, Dec 3, 1989) The Saturday, December 3, 1989 when the Malta Summit took place between US President George HW Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, was a cold and Gothic night. So much so that the second round of talks followed by dinner had to …
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Forty years that changed Iran’s history
(Ayatollah Khomeini waves to followers from the balcony of his headquarters in Tehran, Feb 2, 1979, on second day of return from exile.) The annual event known as the Ten Days of Dawn marking the political celebration of the Islamic Revolution in Iran on February 11 has begun. This year’s anniversary is a special occasion …
India wades into Afghan peace talks
(Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov greeting Taliban officials at Moscow peace conference, November 2018) The Ministry of External Affairs spokesman’s remark on Thursday in New Delhi that “it is important that the presidential election in Afghanistan takes place as per the schedule” is the first major Indian comment on the current peace talks in Qatar between …