India, Regional Organisations, NATO, European Union, African Union, Foreign Policy

1. India and Regional Organizations
S. Venkata Krishnan
Lecturer & Head CCE
Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University
Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Visit: http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

2. Regional Organisations
• Arrangements by limited number of states linked
together by a geographical relationship and by a
degree of mutual interdependence
•Joseph Nye view
They are indication of willingness of states to cooperate in a world of conflicts.
Some Examples: NATO-1949, EU-1958, PIF-1971, SICA-1991, MERCOSUR-1991,
AU- 1999, SCO- 2001
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

3. MEKONG-GANGA COOPERATION (MGC)
Part of…
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

4. AU
EAC
COMESA
SADC
LAS
GCC
ASEAN
SCOEU
CARICOM
CELAC
SICA
PIF
Interacts…
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

5. • Conversely, there are regional organisations with them India’s
interaction is negligible or nominal like NATO, APEC and
CSTO. In some other organisations like SCO the level of
India’s interaction gradually improved i.e. from outsider to
observer and subsequently to full member. Hence, these things
generate two questions to be probed.
• Firstly, what perceptions for India about regional
organisations? This will help to identify why India interacts
with regional organisations.
• Secondly, what influence for India with regional organisations?
This will help to identify why ROs interested about India.
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

6. India ‘s perception through Select Cases
• NATO:
– India has not been appreciating formation of regional integration, for whom, ‘military’ as the core of integration…and
India has sensitivity on retaining its strategic autonomy i.e. constraint on the same
• EU:
 Trading partner
 Source of high technology
 A significant aid donor
 To an extent an increasingly important political actor
– challenge in WTO
PIF:
 Trying to keep pace with China and to match its growing footprint in the South Pacific
 On international issues relating to the environment, climate change, UN reform and freedom of navigation
• SICA:
 To address the problems of small states and give due recognition to their aspirations.
 As part of our commitment to south-south cooperation.
 To expand our presence in the Latin American Region, a gateway to markets in North America and South America.
 To work in support of UN reforms.
• MERCOSUR:
 Interest in South-South trade cooperation
• AU:
 “alternative non-western” partner for Africa
 Peace Missions
 Digital divide – technology competence
 A market
• SCO:
 To increase the level of multilateral economic cooperation and the flow of trade and energy resources towards India
 Security interests
 Connecting link with Central Asia
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

7. India’s perception about ROs [Why India interacts with regional
organisations?]
• Partner for geopolitical aspirations
• Partner to bring reforms in UN
• Partner in counter terrorism
• Partner in prevention of crime
• Partner for resources
• Partner for trade
• Partner for investment
• Partner for development
• Partner for region building
• Partner for peace activities
• Partner for expansion of Science & Technology
• Partner in multilateral negotiations
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

8. Influence for India
NATO: wants to raise it to the political level
– Three reasons. Firstly, India is not considered as a threat to NATO
Allies or NATO territory. Secondly, the popular view, Indian Ocean
becomes the Atlantic of the 21st century. Thirdly, India has not been
badly affected by financial crisis.
 concern that India could be a competitor in the production and sale of
defence systems
European Union: Yes, because
1.The emergence of Asia and getting EU’s relations right with this diverse and
dynamic region.
2.EU has interest to be part of India’s development aspirations and carry out
them in a sustainable manner.
3.To publicize EU’s integration a success to other regions, particularly on the
threshold of confrontation, of the world including South Asia.
4.EU has interest to create effective global governance
 ‘India is significant’is not an exceptional but, one among many others
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

9. Influence for India
Pacific Islands Forum: Yes
The ‘existential threat’ of climate change, development aspirations and to have better
technical training and education arouse interest about India
self-determination struggle that persists to the present day; one of the post forum dialogue
partners
SICA: Irrespective of distance, Yes
Invited India
to become a member of the Group of Partner Countries of the Security Strategy of
Central America (ESCA)
to become a member of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration
(CABEI) as extra regional partner
in the list of extra-regional observers of SICA, India is missing
MERCOSUR : Yes
The pharmacy of the developing world
To contain EU’s demands
 trade relationship between India and MERCOSUR is not encouraging
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

10. Influence for India
African Union: Yes
• Present structure of United Nations Security Council
• Emergency preparedness and emergency response
 Assurance that India will respect the status of the AU pact (African Nuclear weapon
Free Zone) but, not able to get Uranium from Namibia
 Incident of attacks on African nationals
SCO: Yes
To make India focus from the West towards Russia and Asian states
 to counter China’s moves or challenge China’s power
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

11. India’s influence over ROs -
Why ROs interested about India?
• Location – Part of South Asia, Near to Eurasia & in the
midst of Indian Ocean
• UNSC present structure
• Peacekeeping
• Financial dynamism
• Trade & commerce potential
• Environmental protection/sustainable development
• Threshold of confrontation
• Emergency preparedness and emergency response
• Availability of advanced technologies
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S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

12. Conclusion
India supports Regional Integration- economic prosperity, social development , capacity
building, skills development and conflict resolution i.e. are largely forums of
‘development politics’
But, at times regional organisations like EU, PIF and SICA also giving space to discuss
key political issues like UN reforms, terrorism- ‘geo-politics’
This provides sufficient optimism for India’s objectives like democratising the present
international political and financial order with the help of regional organisations
India is able to have influence with many of the regional organisations of the world. In recent
times, this has been clearly expressed by regional institutions of Atlantic, Latin America,
Africa and Asia.
However, India's influence is not absolute and there are events which are either adding up
or diminishing it. Hence, an expert body is required to follow India's interaction with regional
organisations in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and in Political Science/International
Relations department of universities of India. 12
S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/

13. S. Venkata Krishnan-Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University-Visit:
http://pdpu.ac.in/cce/
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THANK YOU