Indo-Pacific Group

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) negotiations have mostly been conducted in secrecy with limited public input and it raises concerns whether the member countries, including India, were able to protect their key interests, think tank GTRI said on Sunday. The 14-member IPEF bloc was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. Together, they account for 40 per cent of the world's economic output and 28 per cent of trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy and fair economy. India has joined all the pillars except the trade. Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam are members of the bloc. The countries have signed pacts on supply chains, clean economy, and fair economy so far. India signed the clean and fair economy pacts on ...

China, Russia, and some Pacific Island nations have already secured exploration licences for the Pacific Ocean

The United States is encouraging partnerships between the NATO alliance and friendly countries across the world, in particular those in the Indo-Pacific region, the White House said on Monday, on the eve of the crucial NATO summit here. Leaders from 38 different countries have gathered in Washington for a historic summit to mark the 75th anniversary of the first NATO summit. This includes the leaders of all NATO allies as well as NATO partners, including Ukraine, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea. "The president has also strongly encouraged greater partnerships between the NATO alliance and friendly nations around the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, as you will see. The president knows that the global threats and challenges that we all face, including from authoritarian actors and terrorist organisations, are inextricably linked," John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, told reporters at a news conference here. "He has also encouraged ou

Two nations agreed to set up the fund after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France for Bastille Day celebrations last year

Raimondo said she is often asked if the United States is asking countries in the Indo-Pacific to choose between China and the United States

Germany has planned a "never before" military deployment to India to underline that its engagement in the Indo-Pacific is "serious and long lasting". "So what we have planned this year, together with our Indian partners, is something that has never been there before the German Air Force. The German Air Force will send jets to India, but not on our own. We never go alone. We will do it with the French, Spanish and British," said Sebastian Fuchs, a spokesperson for the German embassy here. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will host the large-scale multi-nation military exercise in southern India in August. Germany will dispatch a significant contingent of military aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers and transport planes, for the exercise. This will be followed by a visit by a German naval frigate and a combat support ship to Goa in October. This marks the second major naval deployment by Germany to India in recent years. "We will have a frigate that is coming in October to the shores

China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure on Wednesday that China's increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao, speaking at his first news conference of the year in Canberra on Wednesday, maintained that Australia should not harbour anxiety about China's intentions in the region. Pacific Islands countries is an area where China and Australia can cooperate and can contribute together instead of asking them to choose between the two," Xiao said. What China has been doing is to help them to for their social stability, economic development and for bilateral trade relations." Concerns of China's encroachment in the South Pacific had escalated last year when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising fears of a military buildup in the region. We're not seeking military strategies, we're not seeking military purposes, and there's no need for any so-called anxiety on the

India did not join the trade pillar because the government didn't know what commitments New Delhi may have to make, and there was no clarity on the details

In his address, Rajnath Singh highlighted that climate change-related concerns of small nations in the Indo-Pacific region should get due importance

As many as 32 civil society organisations and NGOs on Friday urged the government not to join in the talks of the trade pillar of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) for Prosperity, stating that it can impact India's policy space to develop critical economic sectors. They also claimed that India has joined IPEF talks without due consideration and parliamentary scrutiny in terms of IPEF's implications for India's economic and development policy space. In a letter to the commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, these organisations said that the US has strategically pitched the IPEF as 'not the usual' trade agreement as it does not include market access commitments such as import duty cuts. "This strategy has misled the Indian government into believing that the IPEF will only involve cooperation and no commitment to open up imports. On the contrary, the IPEF is actually more intrusive than Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as it targets national policies and regulations across .

India and the US on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, with the objective of ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region. The situation in the Indo-Pacific came up for discussion during talks between Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and visiting US Under Secretary of State for Political Victoria Nuland. In the talks, held under the framework of annual India-US Foreign Office Consultations, the two sides covered contemporary regional developments in South Asia, Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "The two sides reiterated their commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, with the objective of ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the region," it said in a statement. The MEA said both sides reviewed progress made towards further consolidating the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. It said Kwatra and Nuland took stock of a number of

The Indian Navy had already created a bouquet of initiatives and structures to manage the Indian Ocean

India's ability to successfully conclude its FTAs with the EU and Australia, according to schedule, will signal to the world its readiness and capability to play the role envisioned of it in the IPEF

Despite its misgivings, India stands to gain from the overlap in the agenda of the Quad and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework

On issues such as digital commerce, labour, and environmental standards, India and the US have contrasting views

Aukus brings in its fold two of the three global financial centres: New York and London, leaving only Tokyo out

India looks forward to continuing its engagements with the Pacific Alliance, said the MEA on the 10th anniversary of the alliance

Nearly two-third of the world's oil shipments transit across the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Eight of the 10 busiest container ports are in the region.

India may block Australia in Malabar naval exercise; it is being seen as snag in their relationship