Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist Magazine - September 2017

In this issue

Japan India ties go back a long way. In the 1950s and beyond, Japan was closely tied to the USA in a security treaty relationship and India’s nonalignment was perceived in Japan as leaning too close to Russia. Despite these differences, Japan took the momentous decision to make India the fi rst destination for its overseas Development Aid Programme. Since 2003, India has remained the largest recipient of Japanese economic assistance.

The launching of India’s Look East policy in the early 1990s marked a strategic shift in India’s vision of the world and its place in the global economy. The centrality of India’s position in the Asian region was highlighted first by India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in his famed book, “The Discovery of India”. This month, we look at India’s evolving relationship with the Indochina region, better known today as ASEAN. In the same feature, we will also be looking at the healthy trade relationship between the US and Philippines, as the latter has recorded a strong GDP growth of 6.9 percent in 2016, backed by its strong economic fundamentals. This month, our Spotlight section puts the focus on the growing strategic ties between Japan and India in areas of defence cooperation. This issue also includes a special biographical feature on Mr. Sanjeev Sinha, the newly appointed advisor of the INR 98,000 Cr. Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Shinkansen), selected by the Japan Railways for the mammoth undertaking.

Our Special Report presents a detailed study of India’s economic ties with Bahrain, one of our oldest trading partners. The dynamics between Bahrain and India are currently evolving from bilateral trade to increased cooperation and economic collaboration. With Bahrain focusing on diversifying its economy and India encouraging diverse global economic partners, the two have found areas of mutual benefits.