New year, new uncertainties for Indian diplomacy Premium

View from India | New year, new uncertainties for Indian diplomacy

Best wishes for a happy and peaceful new year to all readers of The View From India — the only newsletter that provides a comprehensive look of the issues that matter in foreign policy from an Indian perspective, and keeps you informed of the most important developments in Indian diplomacy every week. As we head into the new year, do let us know what you’d like to see more of in The View From India in 2024 and share your feedback with us at socmed1@thehindu.co.in. We would love to hear from you.

What lies in store for Indian diplomacy in 2024? The Narendra Modi government is heading into the new year, and the upcoming general elections set for this summer ahead of a possible third term, high on confidence after recent electoral victories. As far as India’s diplomacy is concerned, however, it is electoral uncertainties in many countries — and navigating a world in flux while protecting Indian interests -— that is likely to remain a top priority in 2024.

As The Hindu’s Suhasini Haidar writes, domestic policies abroad, rather than geopolitical events, could be a major factor in foreign policy in 2024, given that more than a fourth of the world, in terms of population and number of countries, will go to vote during the year:

Beyond the neighbourhood and the U.S., there are many other electoral uncertainties both in the West and the Global South in the coming year, as Haidar explains. You can read her analysis here.

Eyes of much of the world will certainly be on the U.S. in particular as campaign season heats up in coming months. Varghese K. George, in this Explainer, looks at how the poll year is shaping up for both India and the U.S., what are the fundamental questions that the two democracies are grappling with, the visible trends, and the likely impact on bilateral relations.

In the first major breakthrough in the case against eight former Indian naval personnel sentenced to death in Qatar, the Court of Appeals in Doha has commuted their sentences, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on December 28.

Hailing India and Russia relations as “very steady” and “very strong”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said during a visit to Moscow that he was “confident” that the annual India-Russia leadership summit, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have skipped for two years, will be held in 2024, even as Mr. Putin extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit.