Editor's Note
Welcome to the new edition of the magazine. Interestingly, this new edition captures some of the fine sparks of changes beginning in April that may impact global diplomacy and economic discourse. It is beyond dispute that the G20 Summit in London has become a watershed in breaking the impasse on the set of measures required to revive major economies afflicted by global credit crisis.   Read the Note.  
 

Stick Takes Upper Hand Over Stimulus 
US$1.1 trillion package and tighter regulation of banks in cards
On tighter financial regulation, the G20 agreed to extend regulation and oversight to all systemically important Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets including the big Hedge funds.   Read the Article.  
 

WEF 2009: Profound Thoughts on a Post-Crisis World
Klaus Schwab, the founder and leader of the World Economic Forum, gave an appropriate official theme this year, “Shaping a Post-crisis World.” He pronounced five ethical and economic goals for this new world, which, he argued, would make the world a better place when the economic mess was off.   Read the Article. 
   

NATO@60
Diamond Anniversary 1949 - 2009   
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 04 April 1949. The NATO headquarters are in Brussels, Belgium, and the organization constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. The first NATO Secretary General was the late Lord Ismay (1887-1965) who was, incidentally, born in India. Read the Article.  
 

Euro Completes Ten Years
Big Triumph for European Monetary Union   
“The euro has helped create 16 million jobs and over time has delivered lower inflation and lower interest rates than ever before. In the current time of crisis the euro is sheltering businesses from the exchange rate volatility, which has battered them in previous downturns.” – Jose Manuel Barroso Read the Article.
  

A Great Milestone in Cultural Diplomacy
Spain and India are in the process of discovering each other. There is a sustained interest about India in Spain. People in Spain know a lot about India’s millennium old philosophical tradition and literature. But it is important to note that the discovery of modern India is still an on going process in Spain.  Read an Interview.      
     

SPANORAMA: An Education Guide to Spain
It is easy to adapt in Spain, as Spaniards share the same family values as Indians. The climate is not too cold. It is a beautiful country, which receives more tourists every year than its own population. It is very safe for women to travel alone. The cuisine is extremely palatable for the Indians since it includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The people are kind even though they may not be able to communicate well in English and have a certain joie de vivre. So Hemingway was absolutely right when he said “For Living-Spain”.
- Sharmishtha Majumdar
Student, Diplomatic School, Madrid  Read the Article.  
 

Sri Lanka Situation and the Tamil Issue
“Sinhala chauvinistic politics has always been the raison d’etre of extremist Tamil politics and the openly Sinhala supremacist policies of the present regime are driving even the moderate Tamils to extreme positions.” – Mangala Samraveera Read the Article.
   

Amritsar: Splendid Domestic Getaway 
Attari was once called Wagah, which is a town that was bisected by the controversial Radcliffe Line in 1947 when India was partitioned. It lies on the Grand Trunk Road about half way between Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The portion of the town on the Pakistani side of the border retained the name of Wagah, while the Indian portion was changed to the name of Attari in 2007. It is here where every night at a few minutes before sunset, the bleachers on both sides of the border come alive as high-spirited Indians and Pakistanis cheer on their respective soldiers as they carryout a display of patriotism including precision marching and foot stomping, before lowering the two flags in unison. Read the Notes.
   

BANGLADESH ELECTION 2009: Clear Mandate for 'BENGALIYAT'
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s political alliance has won a landslide victory in elections aimed at restoring democracy to the country.
The dawn of 2009 brought with it a befitting gift for Bangladesh — a massive mandate by its people for peace, development and also importantly, hope for revival of the very Bengali essence of life, which had been severely eroded over the half a decade of rule by the Bangladesh National Party (BNP).  Read the Article.
   

DIPLOMATIC NEWS
Chilean President Visits India
EU-India FTA Talks
Bulgaria Deputy Prime Minister in India 
India-Spain Ink Joint Mechanism on Anti-terror
   Read the News.
 

Shared Goals Make India and Latin America: Partners in Progress
In the new era of economic interdependence and globalization, Indian multinationals from the ICT, auto industry, infrastructure, iron & steel, banking, pharma, mining and other industries are fast investing in these markets and setting up active business operations in Latin American. Read the Article.
     

Visible Spurt in India-Latin America Trade
Government taking several measures to optimise trade potential   
ccording to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s trade with Latin America in 2007 crossed US$11 billion and increased from US$9billion in 2006. India’s exports were US$5 billion and imports US$6billion. If the trade through third countries is taken into account the total would cross 12 billion dollars.  Read the Article.
 

Emerging Paradigm of Business with Latin America
In 2009, the U.S. economy is projected to contract 0.7 percent and the Euro economy by 0.5 percent. The advanced economies will suffer recession in 2009. But in Latin America, the growth story is going to continue, but at a lesser pace.  Read the Article.
 

Trade Blocs Hastening Regional Integration   
The fast pace of regional integration in Latin America has broadened its markets, diversified exports and raised productivity, employment and capital investment. The passion for a regionally integrated Latin America was always loud in the teachings of Simon Bolivar, the liberator of South America, who, even before its independence in 1820, had advocated a political union of the countries in that region. Early attempts made in the fifties and sixties for regional and sub-regional integration were not very effective.  Read the Article.
 

Ecuador-India Trade New Frontiers in Sight    
Ecuador distinguishes India as a potential partner for the distribution and supply of its products in Asia and especially in Indian subcontinent.  Read the Article.
 

Africa Unplugged: India Looks Beyond Traditional Sectors  
The conclave attracted 483 registered participants from Africa: and there were a total of 820 delegates. Ministers from Mauritius, Burkina Faso, Cote d’lvoire, Botswana, Mozambique, Sudan, Comoros, Togo, Congo, Uganda and Central African countries attended.  Read the Article.
  

Bilateral Notes
Indian Vice President Visits Myanmar
First High Level Macedonian Visit
BIPA with Jordan and Serbia
ASSOCHAM’s Indo-Arab Conference 2009 Calls for Higher Trade
Kazak President Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade
Strengthening Indo-Afghan Ties
India-Bangladesh Friendship
Benin President’s Visit
Anand Sharma in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast
India-Malaysia Labour Deal
India & Belgium Sign Social Treaty
Pan-African e-Network Project Inaugurated
   Read the Notes.  
 

India-Africa: Business Partnership Summit
This year’s edition of the India-Africa Business Partnership Summit was held in New Delhi between 19 and 20 January. More than 250 delegates including representatives from 30 African countries attended the summit, which was jointly organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce and Industry (FICCI).  Read the Article.  
 

Wolfe at Quebec 250
1759 - 2009
In days of yore, from Britain’s shore, Wolfe, the dauntless hero came, And planted firm Britannia’s flag, On Canada’s fair domain.     Read the Article.  
 

Petrotech-2009
Energy Security s the Buzzword 
India’s flagship oil and gas event, PETROTECH-2009 held in New Delhi served the stakeholders in the oil industry well. Organised by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the three-day event held from 11-15 January 2009 concluded on a positive note. The meet helped in exploring business, partnerships and networking to create an energy-secure tomorrow. Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi was the venue for the conference while exhibition took place at the sprawling Pragati Maidan. The theme of the biennial conference was Energy Independence with Global Cooperation: Challenges and Solutions.   Read the Article.  
 

Technology can Tackle Challenges to Internal Security 
Additional Secretary (CS), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India Ms. Anita Choudhary, pointed out that terrorism, left wing extremism and insurgency in the North-East India region as major threats to India’s security. There is however a greater need for development of domestic manufacturing base for sophisticated security technology. She further added that the increase in the number of business establishments has heightened the need for security. Read the Article.  
 

India Goes to Polls
Will the Third Front Upstage Both UPA and NDA?  
India, the world’s largest democracy will give its mandate to a party or coalition for a term of 5 years to form the 15th Lok Sabha or People’s House. About 714 million People would be exercising their franchise to choose their representatives. The elections will be held over 2 months in 5 phases. The five phases are to be held on 16th April, 23rd April, 30th April, 7th May and 13th May. The only state to have voting on all the five days is the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders New Delhi. Electronic Voting Machines would be used throughout the country and there would be no manual voting.  Read the Article.
  

“The Moderns are Blue Chip and Perennial Artists”  
Renu Modi, art enthusiast and Director of Gallery Espace, New Delhi in Conversation with Sunil Mehra  Read an Interview.