“at home, with national elections set to begin next week, the Guardian report will provide a boost to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his.. BJP. It validates the ruling party’s boasts about taking a tough line on Pakistan, which play well politically in India.” 1/3

'Sri Lanka’s actions may be driven by a commitment to strategic autonomy, but its motivations are as much about practicality as principle.'

foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/03/sri…

Michael, I have a feeling we’re not in Washington DC anymore.

The terrorist attack in Chabahar has implications that extend beyond the Middle East. Chabahar is home to a port project backed by India, which views it as a potential counter to Pakistan’s China-backed Gwadar port. China has also eyed investments in Chabahar, since inking a…

‘..South Asia has become a battleground for geopolitical rivalry, which puts pressure on the region’s nonaligned governments to take sides. But to this point, Sri Lanka has navigated this state of affairs successfully.’
foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/03/sri…

In the last two years, Sri Lanka has quietly and successfully navigated global conflict and great power rivalry, thereby demonstrating the capacity of global south states to reinforce multipolarity in the current world order. My latest Foreign Policy⁩: foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/03/sri…

If I’m not mistaken, the Biden letter to Shehbaz Sharif marks the first known direct communication between a U.S. president and a Pakistani PM since Trump met with Imran Khan. Before that, there was Trump’s famous phone call with Nawaz Sharif, telling him he’s an “amazing guy.”

Biden has penned a letter to Pakistani PM Sharif. Notably, it offers no congratulations and instead focuses on the importance of bilateral partnership. Highlights the themes we’ve been hearing from the administration-econ, rights, climate. Though no mention of CT, interestingly.

#USStateDepartment 's stance on #Kejriwal : Michael Kugelman suggests the US comment could have been avoided, but now that it's made, India's response seems exaggerated. However, he notes that if India had complained about a similar incident in the US, it's likely the US government…

Thank you to Michael Kugelman, Reeta Tremblay, and T.V. Paul for a fascinating conversation on foreign policy implications of India's upcoming elections and the country's sustained geopolitical ascendance.

Read the report from the event here: asiapacific.ca/publication/ev…

'Modi’s base may see his curbing of opposition leaders and parties as reflecting the very principles they admire and channeling the muscular nationalism that defines the BJP. Criticism of such moves as politically motivated is dismissed as interference.'
foreignpolicy.com/2024/03/27/ind…

During an Indian TV panel I was on today on the US-India Kejriwal kerfuffle, a guest accused the US of backing the Indian opposition. It’s not backing the opposition (or any party). But this perception is the latest reminder why the US values-based foreign policy is problematic.