Model Answer
0 min readIntroduction
India’s ‘constructive strategic partnership’ with Central Asian States (CAS) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – is rooted in shared historical and cultural ties, and increasingly, in converging geopolitical and economic interests. Multilateralism, in international relations, refers to the practice of coordinating national policies through international institutions and agreements. While India champions multilateralism as a core tenet of its foreign policy, the reality of its engagement with Central Asia reveals a complex interplay of multilateral initiatives and bilateral engagements. This answer will assess the extent to which multilateralism genuinely shapes India’s strategic partnership with the region, considering both opportunities and constraints.
Multilateral Frameworks & India-Central Asia Cooperation
India’s engagement with Central Asia is significantly channeled through several multilateral platforms:
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): The SCO is arguably the most important multilateral forum. India’s full membership (2017) has enhanced its security cooperation (counter-terrorism, border security) and economic ties with CAS. SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) provides a platform for intelligence sharing.
- India-Central Asia Dialogue: Initiated in 2013, this ministerial-level dialogue focuses on enhancing cooperation in counter-terrorism, security, economic development, and connectivity.
- INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor): Though not exclusively focused on Central Asia, the INSTC, involving India, Russia, and Iran, aims to improve connectivity to Central Asia via Chabahar port, reducing reliance on traditional routes.
- Eurasian Group on Combating Terrorism and Extremism (EAGET): India participates in this forum to address security challenges.
Areas of Cooperation within Multilateral Frameworks
Cooperation within these frameworks spans several key areas:
- Security Cooperation: Counter-terrorism efforts, particularly addressing the threat of radicalization emanating from Afghanistan, are a major focus. Joint military exercises and intelligence sharing are common.
- Economic Cooperation: Focus on energy security (Turkmenistan gas pipeline projects like TAPI – though currently stalled), trade, and investment. India is keen on accessing Central Asian resources.
- Connectivity: Promoting the INSTC and exploring other connectivity projects to enhance trade and transport links.
- Cultural Exchange: Promoting people-to-people contacts through educational scholarships, cultural programs, and tourism.
Limitations to Full Multilateralism
Despite these initiatives, the extent of multilateralism is limited by several factors:
- Bilateral Focus: A significant portion of India’s engagement remains bilateral, driven by specific national interests and tailored to each country. For example, India’s energy partnership with Turkmenistan is largely a bilateral arrangement.
- Geopolitical Competition: The region is witnessing increasing geopolitical competition between Russia, China, and other powers. This limits the scope for a truly multilateral approach led by India. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) presents a significant challenge.
- Varying National Interests: Central Asian states have diverse foreign policy priorities and are often cautious about aligning too closely with any single power.
- Connectivity Challenges: The lack of direct land connectivity between India and Central Asia remains a major impediment. The Chabahar port offers a potential solution, but its development has been slow.
- Afghanistan Factor: Instability in Afghanistan continues to pose a security challenge and complicates regional cooperation.
Recent Developments
The India-Central Asia Summit held in January 2022, and subsequent meetings, have reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the region. The focus on connectivity, security, and economic cooperation has been reiterated. However, the implementation of these commitments remains a challenge.
| Multilateral Forum | India’s Role | Key Areas of Cooperation |
|---|---|---|
| SCO | Full Member (since 2017) | Security (counter-terrorism), Economic Cooperation, Connectivity |
| India-Central Asia Dialogue | Initiator & Key Participant | Counter-terrorism, Security, Economic Development, Connectivity |
| INSTC | Key Promoter & Investor | Connectivity, Trade, Transport |
Conclusion
While India actively utilizes multilateral frameworks like the SCO and the India-Central Asia Dialogue to foster its ‘constructive strategic partnership’ with Central Asian states, the reality is a nuanced one. Multilateralism serves as an important platform for dialogue and cooperation, particularly in security and connectivity. However, bilateral engagements driven by specific national interests and geopolitical realities continue to play a dominant role. To truly enhance multilateralism, India needs to focus on overcoming connectivity challenges, navigating geopolitical competition, and building greater trust and convergence of interests with Central Asian nations. A more proactive and sustained engagement within existing multilateral structures, coupled with innovative regional initiatives, will be crucial for realizing the full potential of this partnership.
Answer Length
This is a comprehensive model answer for learning purposes and may exceed the word limit. In the exam, always adhere to the prescribed word count.