Regional and Multilateral Cooperation

India is a prominent regional power in South Asia, combining alone three quarters of its population, area and GDP. Before long, India is slated to become the world’s most populous state. India’s quest for playing a significant role in global governance starts with its contribution to peace and stability in the South Asian region. Conscious of its significance in the region, India is aspiring for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Since 1947 India and Pakistan have had three major armed confrontations, the last being the Kargil war in 1999. The attacks on the Indian parliament in December 2001 as well as 26/11, 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks have given rise to fears about a new angle to armed confrontations. India is now faced with an added problem of cross-border terrorism. FES India firmly believes that the only way to bring about peace in the region is to offer a non-partisan platform and encourage a dialogue between the two countries to end animosity and promote regional cooperation. FES contributes to the improvement of India-Pakistan relations by means of its ‘Indo-Pak-dialogue’, which comprises Members of Parliament, publishers, journalists, diplomats, former ministers and senior army officials, who formulate proposals for negotiations between the two governments regarding the Kashmir issue, the two countries’ nuclear arsenals, the Taliban threat, the role of China and the democratic stabilisation of Afghanistan.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung perceives the promotion of India’s bilateral economic ties with its north-eastern neighbours as an important step towards integration on the subregional level. FES India provides platforms which aim at furthering Indo-European- dialogue, for instance, by running informational programmes for Indian political, economic and media decision-makers in Europe and Germany, thus achieving a closer exchange of ideas on international responsibility and cooperation.