Look West Policy

 New Quad in West Asia:

The Foreign Ministers of India, the United States, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates met virtually recently. The summit is a clear manifestation of shifts in West Asian geopolitics and the creation of a new Quad-like organisation in the Middle East.

India's participation in this new group signals a shift in its foreign policy.

Factors Contributing to the Formation of New Groups:

·        Abraham Accord: It allows for the formation of a new grouping following the reopening of formal diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

·        Tackling Turkey's Regional Dominance: The new Quad arose from a convergence of interests between India, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel, despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's forceful claims to the Islamic world's leadership.

·        China’s challenge: China’s influence in the Middle East, predominantly in Israel and the UAE, had been growing despite the fact that both are close U.S. security partners. While concerns about China's military threat are relevant, other facets of China's strength have received less attention, despite the fact that they are equally crucial.

·        US Pivot to Asia: As part of its pivot to East Asia to counter China's ascent, which is redrawing West Asia's historic equations, the US is plainly attempting to reduce its footprint in the Middle East.

Significance of New QUAD for India:

·        Moving towards Regional Policies: The new minilateral suggests India is now ready to move from bilateral relations conducted separately towards an integrated regional policy.

·        India's Westward Shift: In the same way that the "Indo-Pacific" has changed the way India views the east, the concept of a "Greater Middle East" has the potential to boost India's interaction with its western neighbours.

·        Utility of Regional Coalitions: Like in the Indo-Pacific, even in the Middle East also, regional coalitions will widen India’s reach and deepen its impact.

·        Strengthening Indo-US relations: The new Quad also points to ever-widening strategic cooperation of Indians with USA.

·        To tackle China: India's participation in the new Middle Eastern quartet demonstrates that New Delhi recognises that the China challenge must be addressed not only to India's north and east, but also to India's west. (Galwan and Dokhlam Clash)

·        Tackling Pakistan: Pakistan's growing alignment with Turkey, as well as its alienation from its traditionally strong supporters in the Arab Gulf - the UAE and Saudi Arabia - has fueled the formation of the new coalition.

·        Complementarities: Combining India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries. Add American strategic support and we would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.

Quads are a type of multiateral engagement that is dependent on certain circumstances. More multilaterals should be expected, even if they aren't all quads. The issues with traditional multilateralism are leading to a fresh concentration on multlateralism, as I previously stated, and the new quad is another example of that.

West Asia
Growing interests of Asian economies

• As net importers of crude oil, these Asian economies rely heavily on the West Asian states for their supplies.
• Have increased stakes in the safety and security of the region from the perspective of political and economic stability.
• Protection of vital sea lanes in areas such as the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea stretching out into the Arabian Sea and the wider Indian Ocean.

Way Ahead

• The idea of Asian nations having to band together to protect their energy interests in West Asia is not new.
• An idea equitable to an ‘importers OPEC’, or Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, led by Asian states which today have a much larger stake in West Asia’s oil than the West.
• India’s security footprint in West Asia has seen a steady increase, and energy security and safe passage of sea routes are one of the main driving factors.
• The Indian Navy has made multiple port calls from the UAE and Kuwait to Iran and Qatar in recent years.

Conclusion

• This trend of an increasing Asian security interest and footprint is expected to only magnify in the years to come as the nature of security in West Asia changes itself.
• Regional states will become more responsible for their own security, and as Asian economies become stronger stakeholders, their geopolitics will become more visible across this geography.

India and West Asia

India’s ‘Look West’ Policy 

1) Introduction  

India seeks to pursue a multi-dimensional engagement with West Asia. 

 While much focus is often given to India’s ‘Act East’ policy, India’s ‘Look West’ policy too is evolving rapidly.  Sustained high-level engagements have ensured that India’s voice is becoming an important one in the region.

2) Recent Developments  PM Modi’s Palestine visit was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister.  With New Delhi’s policy of trying to build capacity of Palestine, India signed six agreements worth around $50 million with Palestine.  A landmark pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10% stake in offshore oil concession is the first Indian investment in the UAE’s upstream oil sector.  There is growing convergence between India and UAE on tackling terrorism.  New alignments have allowed India to de-hyphenate ties with Israel and Palestine.  India has established independent links with estranged players in the region such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran.  The relations traditionally were based on energy and Indian Diaspora, but now India seeks to maintain relations to be a significant power in the world as well.  Oman has been a long-standing partner of India in West Asia, where Indians constitute the largest expatriate community.  With the Indian Ocean becoming a priority focus area for New Delhi, Oman’s significance is likely to grow.  Naval cooperation has already been gaining momentum with Muscat giving berthing rights to Indian naval vessels to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden.  India and Oman are enhancing cooperation in the field of health, tourism and peaceful uses of outer space. 

3) Significance  India is in the good position of being trusted by all the major factions in the Middle East; it has good relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iraq, and the Gulf States.  The numbers on trade between India and the Gulf countries are impressive.  There are large Indian communities in the Gulf States.  The remittances sent by Indian labour migrants have added to the economic relationship.  West Asia is crucial for stability and economic growth in India because around 65% of our oil and more than 80% of our gas supplies come from this region.

4) India's Role  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for a potential Indian role in the West Asian peace process.  Palestine, which has turned away from a US-led mediation, now counts on India to realise the twostate solution. Insights Mindmaps www.insightsonindia.com Page 2 www.insightsias.com  India remains strongly committed to the establishment of a viable Palestinian state, living at peace with Israel.  India is looking for renewed alignments, investment opportunities and diaspora outreach in the region.  India acts as an important market for the Gulf oil economies, their aviation companies, a provider of technology and human resources.  Joint military exercises to control “non-State actors”.  Today, New Delhi is building infrastructure in Iran while also sharing intelligence with Saudi Arabia.

5) Containing China  China and India, as two emerging powers, are yet to articulate a clear road map for the region.  With China’s expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean Region, India must strengthen security ties with littoral states. 

6) Concerns / Challenges  ASEAN has been the vehicle for India’s expanding partnership with South East Asia, but there is no similar forum in the Middle East.  Ideological, political and religious divisions in India over the Middle East have long complicated Delhi’s thinking of the region.  Instability in the region due to ISIS.  Growing rivalry between the Sunni Arabs and Shia Iran.

7) Way Forward  India’s West Asia engagement must focus on delivering on its commitments and strengthening its presence as an economic and security partner.  This is crucial for India as America’s stakes in the region is declining.  India as an emerging power need to articulate a clear road map for the region.  With growing conflicts between countries in the region, India will have to be more pragmatic in its approach towards the region.