Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Strategic partnership should be with the right countries' that was published in Newsband

Strategic partnership should be with the right countries

India’s decisions over the past two decades to upgrade more than 30 of its bilateral relationships to “strategic partnerships” are not bad. The term “strategic” implies a future convergence of interests in areas that are vital: security, defence and investment.

India signed strategic partnership with the east African country of Rwanda recently. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Gandhinagar.

Since 1998, when India announced its first strategic partnership with France, successive governments have signed such partnerships with dozens of countries. Countries on the UN Security Council such as the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia and China, or others such as Japan, Australia, and some of the neighbours have genuinely contributed to India’s security and economic interests. India should focus on countries with which there is a long-term vision on securing India’s needs.

The US considers Rwanda an important strategic ally in large part because of its geographical location as a gateway to eastern DR Congo and much of the world’s most precious mineral deposits. Country also has outsized influence in the region. To cite just the size, the GDP, etc is to miss the point.

It is felt that both the strategic partnership and bilateral ties are being mixed together to present a view that the countries involved are projecting economic interests. India has signed many agreements of military interests and projected them as beneficial to economy. Commercial issues have been dealt in the garb of security interests.

Strategic partnership is essential with countries which are having potentials on economic front like defence, power, industries and investment. Having 'strategic partnership' with countries which are having less ingredients to growth are a mere window dressing process and what is the use of having unnecessary key agreements without potential for mutual growth? It is nothing wrong to have specific individual bilateral agreements but strategic partnership is something more. Strategic partnership should be with the countries with political and economic stability. To develop mutual courtesy on social and economic front with a nation, it is better to have specific agreement rather than use 'strategic partnerships' which are with more meaning.

The word ‘Strategic’ could be considered for any relationship if it is going to: (a) Strengthen the efforts to ensure Sovereignty of the Indian Territories as enshrined in the Constitution of India. (b) Help protecting and exploiting our EEZ, Space - Satellites, Space station & Inter-Planetary probes. (c) Support n ensuring Access and Navigational Rights and Economic Exploitation rights in International Waters, incl. the land and waters of Antarctica and Artic Territories. (d) Help in ensuring Personal Safety of Indian Citizen abroad, and ensuring the economic rights of Indian Citizens and / or the Commercial interests of the Nation either abroad or on any inter-planetary territory. (e) Helps in obtaining favourable Trading International Trade Conditions and Markets for Indian produce, goods and services. (f) Ensure free and unhindered flow of information in any form at affordable and reasonable cost.