Monthly Compilation of Views of VIF Expert Groups: January 2021

In January five expert group discussions and one interaction on India-Bangladesh relations with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh was organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation through webinar on events and topics extending from India’s neighborhood to West Asia to China to the US. Each of the members of the expert groups brought rich flavour and knowledge on the topic through their varied professional backgrounds (military, diplomacy and academia). This issue contains reports of the West Asia, Pakistan, Indo-Pacific, China, US Expert Groups and Bangladesh discussion report.

The discussions in the Pakistan group ranged from exploring Pakistan’s internal political dynamics with the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s role in it as well as its increasing anti-India posturing and expectations from Biden administration and lastly on the Afghanistan peace process. The West Asia Group discussed the historical issues of Lebanon and its relationship with India. In the China group the discussions were on exploring India-Taiwan Trade relations and prospect for Economic Cooperation Agreement.

In the Indo-Pacific experts group the discussions were on the possible fallouts of the Biden presidency on the Indo-Pacific in 2021 as well as other potential challenges and opportunities for India in 2021. In the US group contours as well as likely depth of the US-India relations under the new Biden administration were further explored with Dr. Ashley J Tellis and Dr. Evan A. Feigenbaum. In the neighbourhood studies section an insightful talk and interaction with the State Minister of foreign affairs of Bangladesh on India-Bangladesh Relations: Opportunities and Challenges rounds up the January edition.

The coordinators and researchers associated with these Expert Groups have put unfaltering efforts to coordinate the meetings and collate the notes for the reports in this issue.