West Asia-North Africa: Ocean of opportunities

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jordan, Oman, and Ethiopia could help forge partnerships under India’s MAHASAGAR vision

- Talmiz Ahmad

As Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visits Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman from December 15, as part of his latest leadership interactions abroad, he cannot but be conscious that he is retracing the path of deep and substantial civilisational interactions that our ancestors have traversed over millennia.

For centuries, Indian traders, scholars, philosophers, religious teachers and ordinary seamen have crossed the waters of the Indian Ocean to the Gulf and engaged with their counterparts from Oman to Mesopotamia. Again, braving the dangerous Red Sea, they have traded with the coastal states while on their way to Rome. These historic ties have remained vibrant and mutually beneficial as Indian enterprise has ensured that the changing needs of its foreign partners are met.

But the PM's latest conclaves with regional leaders are taking place amid severe insecurity and uncertainty. The broad West Asian landscape and the Red Sea littoral have been severely destabilised by the horrendous Gaza war and the ongoing big power competitions in the Indian Ocean.

While India is engaging with the major players — the US, China and Russia — to safeguard its interests in this volatile period, its priority concerns lie in the western Indian Ocean, and it is here that PM Modi will need to address diverse challenges.