International Relations: March 2022 Current Affairs | UPSC Mains: International Relations PDF Download

Secretariat for 2023 G20 Summit

Why in News?
Recently, the Union Cabinet set in motion the process to build a Secretariat that will look after the affairs of organising the G20 summit in 2023.

• India will steer the international body as its President from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023, which will lead to the G20 summit to be hosted here.
• The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024. It will also enable long term capacity building, including knowledge and expertise, for India’s leadership on global issues in multilateral fora.
• Indonesia assumed the Presidency of G20 in December, 2021.

What is G20?

• It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union (EU), with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
• It does not have a permanent secretariat or Headquarters.
• The membership comprises a mix of the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies, representing about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 80% of global investment and over 75% of global trade. 
• Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU.
• Each G20 country is represented by its Sherpa; who plans, guides, implements, etc. on behalf of the leader of their respective country. Current Commerce and Industry Minister is the current “G20 Sherpa” of India.
  

How G20 Evolved?

• The Global Financial Crisis (2007-08) cemented G20’s reputation as the premier crisis management and coordination body.
• The US, which held the G20 Presidency in 2008, elevated the meeting of the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to Heads of State, resulting in the first G20 Summit.
• The Summits in Washington DC, London, and Pittsburgh set the scene for some of the most durable global reforms:
  • Blacklisting states in an effort to tackle tax evasion and avoidance, provisioning stricter controls on hedge funds and rating agencies, making the Financial Stability Board an effective supervisory  and watchdog body for the global financial system, proposing stricter regulations for too-big-to fail banks, refraining members from imposing new barriers to trade etc.
• By the time Covid-19 struck, the G20 had wandered off from its original mission and G20 lost its focus.  G20 reinvented itself by widening its agenda to include issues such as climate change, jobs and social security issues, inequality, agriculture, migration, corruption, terror financing, drug trafficking, food security and nutrition, disruptive technologies, and meeting the sustainable development goals.
• In recent times, G20 members have made all the right commitments after the pandemic, but there is little to show in action.
• At the Riyadh Summit in October 2020, they prioritised four things: fighting the pandemic; safeguarding the global economy; addressing international trade disruptions; and enhancing global cooperation.
  The Italian Presidency in 2021 had focused on three broad, interconnected pillars of action — People, Planet, Prosperity — vowing to take the lead in ensuring a swift international response to the pandemic.
• Despite millions of deaths, the G20 members have refused to give the legal backing to manufacture vaccines in developing countries.

What is India’s Potential for the G20 Presidency?

• As a founding member of the G20, India has used the platform to raise issues of vital importance and those that impact on the most vulnerable around the world.  But due to the rising toll of unemployment rates and poverty in the domestic portion, it’s hard to take the lead effectively.
• India has set a strong example as the only country among G20 nations that is on track towards meeting what it had promised in 2015 Paris Agreement in terms of being the only 2 degree Celsius compatible country and is much ahead as compared to other G20 countries in terms of fulfilling this commitment.
• Concurrently, India’s leadership role in delineating the success of India-France led International Solar Alliance is globally well acclaimed as a turning point intervention in mobilising resources towards promoting research and development in renewable energy.
• Also, the vision of ‘Self Reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat)’ initiative is expected to play a transformational role for “New India” in the global paradigm as an important and reliable pillar of world economy and global supply chains in the aftermath of Covid -19 crisis.
• India’s endeavour of establishing the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, comprising nine of the G20 nations amongst others provides new dimensions of leadership in the global growth process.

India- UAE Virtual Summit

Why in News?

Recently, a virtual summit was held between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Earlier in September 2021, India and the UAE formally launched negotiations on the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
  

What are the Key Highlights of the Meeting?

• Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: Issued a Joint Vision Statement “Advancing the India and UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership: New Frontiers, New Milestone”. The Statement establishes a roadmap for a futureoriented partnership between India and UAE and identifies focus areas and outcomes.  The shared objective is to promote new trade, investment and innovation dynamics in diverse sectors.
• Defence and Security: Agreed to enhance maritime cooperation contributing to maintenance of peace and security in the region. Reaffirmed joint commitment to fight against extremism and terrorism, including cross-border terrorism, in all forms, at both regional and international levels.
• Climate Action and Renewables: Agreed to support each other’s clean energy missions and establish a joint Hydrogen Task Force to help scale up technologies, with special focus on production of Green Hydrogen.
• Emerging Technologies: Agreed to expand cooperation on critical technologies and mutually promote e-businesses and e-payment solutions and promote start-ups from both countries.
• Education Cooperation: Agreed to establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the UAE.
• Health Cooperation: Decided to collaborate in research, production and development of reliable supply chains for vaccines and enhance investments by UAE entities in the health infrastructure in India as well as collaborate in providing healthcare in underprivileged nations.
• Food Security: Acknowledged the need to enhance the resilience and reliability of food supply chains.  Also decided to expand cooperation through enhanced bilateral food and agriculture trade and, promote and strengthen the infrastructure and dedicated logistic services connecting farms to ports to final destinations in the UAE.
• Skills Cooperation: Agreed to enhance cooperation in skill development so as to align with the market needs and address the changing needs for the future of work. Released Joint Commemorative Stamp on the occasion of 75th anniversary of India’s independence and 50th year of UAE’s foundation.
• Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA): In a significant development, the two sides inked a CEPA to further boost trade and investment ties.  Plastic, agriculture, food products, automobile, engineering, pharmaceuticals are some of the areas that will be boosted because of the pact.  The deal will open up to 10 lakh jobs for the young people in the country and would also open access to broader African and Asian markets for India.  The CEPA is expected to increase bilateral trade from the current level of USD 60 billion to USD 100 billion in the next five years (2022-27).

What is CEPA?

• It is a kind of free trade pact which covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership. It may even consider negotiation on areas such as trade facilitation and customs cooperation, competition, and Intellectual Property Rights.
• Partnership agreements or cooperation agreements are more comprehensive than Free Trade Agreements.
• CEPA also looks into the regulatory aspect of trade and encompasses an agreement covering the regulatory issues.
• India has signed CEPAs with South Korea and Japan.

What is the Current State of India-UAE Relations?

1. About
India and the UAE enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on age-old cultural, religious and economic ties between the two nations. The relationship flourished after the accession of H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi in 1966 and subsequently with the creation of the UAE Federation in 1971.

2. Political Relations
In 2019, UAE awarded the ZAYED Medal, their highest civilian award, to the Prime Minister of India for consolidating the long-standing friendship and joint strategic cooperation between the two nations.
The Indian Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE in August 2015 marked the beginning of a new and comprehensive and strategic partnership.

3. Economic Relations
India-UAE trade was around USD 60 billion making UAE, India’s third-largest trading partner for the year 2019-20 after China and the USA. The UAE is the second-largest export destination of India with an amount of over USD 29 billion for the year 2019-20.
For the UAE, India is the second-largest trading partner for the year 2019 with an amount of around USD 41.43 billion for non-oil trade.

4. Cultural Relations
The two nations share historical ties and have maintained regular cultural exchanges both at official and popular levels. They signed a Cultural Agreement in 1975 and the embassies continue to organise various cultural activities on their own as well as by collaborating with other cultural organisations.

5. Indian Community
The UAE is home to the Indian expatriate community of more than 2.6 million, the largest expatriate community in the UAE, which has played a major role in the economic development of the UAE.
Recently, India has asked the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which also includes UAE, to facilitate the return of Indians who want to resume work with the relaxing of Covid-19- related restrictions. 

Russian Banks Excluded from SWIFT

Why in the News?
Recently, in a move to counter Russia’s war over Ukraine, the US and the European Commission issued a joint statement to exclude some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) messaging system.

• The intention behind this action is to further isolate Russia from the international financial system.
• The move against Russia is only partly implemented for now, with only some Russian banks being covered.
• The option of expanding it further to a pan-country ban is something that the US and its allies are holding back as a further escalatory move.

What is the SWIFT Messaging System?

• SWIFT provides the trusted messaging platform that enables financial institutions to exchange information about global monetary transactions such as money transfers.
• While SWIFT does not actually move money, it operates as a middleman to verify information of transactions by providing secure financial messaging services to more than 11,000 banks in over 200 countries. Most of the world trade takes place with financial messaging passing through SWIFT.
• It was established in 1973 and is based in Belgium.
• It is overseen by the central banks from eleven industrial countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, besides Belgium. India’s financial system has access to the SWIFT.
• Prior to SWIFT, the only reliable means of message confirmation for international funds transfer was Telex. It was discontinued due to a range of issues such as low speed, security concerns, and a free message format.

What will be Impact on Russia?

• Russia is heavily reliant on the SWIFT platform for its key natural resources trade, especially the payments for its oil and gas exports. It will freeze the assets of Russia’s central bank, which would stop Russia from “using its war chest”, referring to its forex reserves.
  Further, the curbs on Russia’s central bank will prevent it from dipping into its forex deposits to limit the effect of sanctions.
• Targeting only some Russian banks seems to be aimed at both keeping the option of further escalation open.  it also envisages that the sanctions have the maximum possible impact on Russia, but prevent a major impact on European companies dealing with Russian banks for payments for their gas imports.
• There is going to be a catastrophe on the Russian currency market.
• Prior to this, only one country had been cut off from SWIFT — Iran. It resulted in it losing a third of its foreign trade.

How did Russia React?

• Russia has worked on alternatives, including the SPFS (System for Transfer of Financial Messages) — an equivalent of the SWIFT financial transfer system developed by the Central Bank of Russia. 
• Russia is reported to be collaborating with the Chinese on a possible venture which will be a potential challenger to SWIFT.
  There are plans to integrate it with China’s Crossborder Inter-bank Payments System (CIPS).

What are Other Global Alternatives to SWIFT?

• There are financial technology companies like Ripple, which has been offering its platform based on interledger protocol (the same technology behind cryptocurrencies) as an alternative.
• Cryptocurrencies are another avenue for cross border remittances. Russia has also been working on a ‘digital’ rouble, which is still not launched.

How will the Sanctions Impact India?

• Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, India had entered into a rupee-rouble trade arrangement with Russia to ensure that defence and other imports could continue.
• In 2018, a pilot project was run where Indian importers paid in roubles for diamond imports.
• These payments were made to the Indian branch of Russia’s Sberbank. SBI and Canara Bank have a joint venture (The Commercial Indo Bank), which might be able to help Indians there.

Russia Recognises Rebel Regions of Ukraine as Independent

Why in News?
Recently, Russia recognised the Ukraine rebel regions in eastern Ukraine - Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent areas despite calls from the west to put an end to the tensions driven by fears that Russia may attack Ukraine.

• This paved the way to provide them military support— a direct challenge to the West that will fuel fears that Russia could imminently invade Ukraine.
• Tensions have peaked over the last few weeks as Russia amassed over 1,50,000 troops at Ukraine borders in one of the worst crises since the Cold War.
• The announcement shatters a 2015 peace deal signed in Minsk requiring Ukrainian authorities to offer a broad self-rule to the rebel regions.

What is Russia’s Stand?
It blamed the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for the current crisis and called the US-led alliance an existential threat to Russia.

• Charged that Ukraine had inherited Russia’s historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia.
• It wants Western Countries to guarantee that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and other former Soviet countries to join as members.
• It has also demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe.
• The western countries have rejected the demand.

What is the Background of the Crisis?

• Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic and familial links.  For many in Russia and in the ethnically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes.
• As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the secondmost powerful Soviet republic after Russia, and was crucial strategically, economically and culturally.
• The Donbass region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine, has been at the centre of the conflict since March 2014 when Moscow (Russia) invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. In April, pro-Russia rebels began seizing territory (with Russia supporting them through hybrid warfare) in Eastern Ukraine and in May 2014, the rebels in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions held a referendum to declare independence from Ukraine. 
• Since then, these predominantly Russian speaking regions (more than 70% speak Russian) within Ukraine have been witnessing shelling and skirmishes between the rebels and Ukrainian forces leading to the loss of over 14,000 lives by most estimates, creating around 1.5 million registered Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and destruction of the local economy.
• What has changed now is that the shelling has intensified since last October 2021 when Russia began amassing troops along the borders with Ukraine.
• If the situation in the Donbass escalates, the possibility of a war cannot be dismissed. One way to prevent the outbreak of a war would be to implement the Minsk agreements immediately, as Russia has suggested.
  

What are the Minsk Agreements?

• There are two Minsk agreements, Minsk 1 and Minsk 2, named after the Belarussian capital Minsk where the talks were held.
• Minsk 1:  Minsk 1 was written in September 2014 by the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, i.e. Ukraine, Russia, and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) with mediation by France and Germany in the so-called Normandy Format.
  Under Minsk 1, Ukraine and the Russia-backed rebels agreed on a 12-point ceasefire deal, which included prisoner exchanges, delivery of humanitarian assistance, and the withdrawal of heavy weapons.
• However, due to violations by both sides, the agreement did not last long.
• Minsk 2: As the rebels moved further into Ukraine, in February 2015, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the OSCE and the leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk signed a 13-point agreement , now known as the Minsk 2 accord.
  The new agreement had provisions for an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal of heavy weaponry, OSCE monitoring, dialogue on interim self-government for Donetsk and Luhansk, in accordance with Ukrainian law.
  It also had provisions related to acknowledgement of special status by parliament, pardon and amnesty for fighters, exchange of hostages and prisoners, humanitarian aid etc.
• However, these provisions have not been implemented because of what is popularly known as the ‘Minsk Conundrum’. This essentially means that Ukraine and Russia have contradictory interpretations about the agreement.

What is the Stand of Different Nations on the Issue?

• The United States has already announced sanctions prohibiting “new investment, trade, and financing by US persons to, from, or in” the two breakaway regions .
• Japan is likely to join the US-led sanctions while French officials have been quoted as saying in reports that the European Union (EU) is also in discussions for punitive actions against Russia.
• The EU has condemned Russia over “a blatant violation of international law as well as of the Minsk agreements.”
• The United Kingdom has also warned of further sanctions. Australia also called Russia’s actions unacceptable, it’s unprovoked, it’s unwarranted.

What is India’s Stand on the Issue?

• India did not join the Western powers’ condemnation of Russia’s intervention in Crimea and kept a low profile on the issue.
• In November 2020, India voted against a Ukrainesponsored resolution in the United Nations (UN) that condemned alleged human rights violations in Crimea thereby backing old ally Russia on the issue.
• Recently, India also suggested at the UN Security Council that “quiet and constructive diplomacy” is the need of the hour and any step that could escalate the tension should be avoided.  India’s stand has been welcomed by Russia

Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis

Why in News?
Recently, the World Bank has approved a plan to use some USD 1 billion in a frozen Afghanistan trust fund for education, agriculture, health and family programs to ease the country’s worsening humanitarian and economic crises.

• The aim is to protect the vulnerable, help preserve human capital and key economic and social institutions and reduce the need for future humanitarian assistance. 
• Earlier, the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was held in India.

What is the Current Situation in Afghanistan?

• An insecure Afghanistan has not only dangerous implications for the region but also the whole world.
• Afghanistan has been unstable and insecure for decades, but the Taliban’s capture of power in August 2021 has had the entire region hanging by a thread. The current situation in Afghanistan is disturbingly similar to the geopolitical scenario in the late 1990s. The Taliban seized power in 1996, but the international community did not fully grasp the potential consequences of the new paradigm.
• International aid organisations have left the country. The Taliban are unable to pay the wages to government employees. The public health care sector is in a disarray.
• The war-ravaged country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, which could turn into another violent conflict.
• Apart from the suffering of the rural population, even Afghans based in cities are finding it impossible to make ends meet.
• Afghanistan could face a bigger catastrophe if the Taliban are unable to improve the economic situation, adding that they will find it difficult to govern and a civil war could erupt.
• It is easier for terrorist groups to operate in a country that is facing economic turmoil. Afghanistan is no exception.

What are the Impacts of the Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan?

• Many western nations see an immediate security threat emanating from Afghanistan. The Taliban, seeking to gain international recognition and financial aid, are more inclined toward a “diplomatic” approach than employing violent tactics. But this superficial calm may not last for long.
  If the humanitarian crisis aggravates in Afghanistan, even the Taliban won’t be able to manage the situation, as evidenced by violent “Islamic State” (IS) attacks.
• A possible violent conflict in Afghanistan could spill over to other countries in the region.  If that happens, regional powers will start supporting proxies to keep the violence within Afghanistan’s boundaries. But it will only be a short-term solution to the Afghan conflict. The more the Taliban stay in power, the more difficult it will get to maintain stability in the region.
• The Taliban have ties with international terrorists. Their return to power has emboldened jihadi organizations in the region.
• As they consolidate themselves, their tactical and strategic ties with terrorism financiers and sponsors will grow and will eventually jeopardize peace and security in the region and beyond.

What should the World do for Afghanistan?

• The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan cannot be resolved through humanitarian aid alone.
• Afghanistan’s economy needs to be improved so that Afghans can be brought out of poverty.  But to lift Afghanistan’s economy, the international community needs to engage with the Taliban.
• Terrorism will not be contained within Afghanistan’s borders if the humanitarian situation in the country does not improve.

What will be the Implications on India?

• Strategic Concern: The Taliban’s control will also mean a bigger hand for the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies to influence outcomes for the country, which will mandate a much smaller role for Indian development and infrastructure work that has won it goodwill over the past 20 years.
• Threat of radicalisation:  There is the threat of growing radicalisation and space for pan-Islamic terror groups in India’s neighbourhood

Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation & India

Why in the News?

Recently, India has lashed out at the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for being “communal minded” amid the Karnataka hijab row.

What is the recent Controversy Between OIC & India?

• OIC Statement: The OIC has called on the UN Human Rights Council to take “necessary measures” on the issue of Muslim girl students being told not to wear the hijab in Karnataka schools. The OIC also urged India to “ensure the safety, security and well being of the Muslim community while protecting their way of life”.
• India’s Response: India held that it is a democracy, and issues within the country are resolved in accordance with our Constitutional framework and mechanism, as well as democratic ethos and polity.
  Further, India criticised OIC for being “communal minded” and “hijacked by vested interests”–a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan.

What is the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation?

1. About
The OIC is the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states. It is the collective voice of the Muslim world.

• It endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference was established by the First Islamic Summit Conference held in Morocco in September 1969, to marshal the Islamic world after an act of arson at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jersualem by a 28-year-old Australian in 1969.  Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  

What is the Status of India’s relationship with OIC as an organisation

• As a country with the world’s second largest Muslim community, India had been invited to the founding conference at Rabat in 1969, but was humiliatingly ejected at Pakistan’s behest.
• India stayed away because of a multiplicity of reasons:  It did not want to join an organisation founded on religion. There was the risk that improving bilateral relations with individual member states would come under pressure in a grouping, especially on issues such as Kashmir.
• At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh, the host, suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status, but Pakistan opposed the proposal.
• After building close ties with powerful members such as UAE and Saudi Arabia, India has been confident of riding over any statement by the grouping.  India has consistently underlined that J&K is an “integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India”, and that the OIC has no locus standi on the issue.
• In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, as a “guest of honour”.  This first-time invitation was seen as a diplomatic victory for India, especially at a time of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.

India-France External Affairs Ministers Meet

Why in News

Recently, the External Affairs Minister of India held talks with his French counterpart.

• The two leaders discussed several regional and global issues including the India-EU relationship, Afghanistan situation, Indo-Pacific Strategy, South China Sea Dispute, Iran nuclear deal and the Ukraine crisis.
  

What are the Highlights of the Meeting?

• Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership: The two Ministers agreed to jointly launch the Indo-French call for an Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership.  This partnership aims to build capacities in the Indo-Pacific region, in terms of sustainable management of protected areas, by gathering and sharing the experiences and expertise that exist in the region among key Indo-Pacific public & private natural park managers.
• India-France Roadmap on the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance: Both sides also adopted the “India-France Roadmap on the Blue Economy and Ocean Governance”.
  The roadmap aims to enhance partnership in the field of blue economy by way of institutional, economic, infrastructural and scientific cooperation.
• Intensify India-EU Ties: They also agreed to intensify India-E.U. ties under the French Presidency, and the need to begin negotiations on the Free Trade and Investment Agreements and implement the IndiaE.U. Connectivity Partnership.
• Strengthening Multilateralism: They also agreed to coordinate in the United Nations Security Council on issues of mutual concern.
• Deepening Strategic Partnership: Both Ministers agreed to further deepen the Strategic Partnership, particularly in the areas of trade and investments, defence and security, health, education, research and innovation, energy and climate change.
• Facilitating People-To-People Contact: Agreed to soon conclude a Joint Declaration of Intent in the Area of Sports, aimed at further facilitating peopleto-people contact.  Strengthening the long-standing cooperation on public administration and administrative reforms between the relevant authorities.

What are the Areas of Cooperation in IndiaFrance Relations?

Background: France was one of the first countries with which India signed a “strategic partnership” after the end of the Cold War, in January 1998.  France was one of the very few countries to support India’s decision to test nuclear weapons in 1998. Today, France has emerged as India’s most reliable partner on issues relating to terrorism and Kashmir.

• Defence Cooperation: Both countries have a defence dialogue at the Ministerial level.

The three services have regular defence exercises; viz.

• Exercise Shakti (Army)
• Exercise Varuna (Navy)
• Exercise Garuda (Air Force)

Recently, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has inducted French Rafale multi-role combat aircraft.  India entered into a contract with a French firm to build six Scorpene submarines in India’s Malegaon dockyards through a technology-transfer arrangement in 2005.
The two countries also signed the Agreement regarding the Provision of Reciprocal Logistics Support.

• Bilateral trade and Economic relations: The IndiaFrance Administrative Economic and Trade Committee (AETC) provides an appropriate framework to assess and find ways to further promote bilateral trade and investment as well as to speed up the resolution of market access issues to the benefit of economic operators
• Global agendas: Climate change, biodiversity, renewable energy, terrorism, cybersecurity and digital technology, etc. . There have been joint efforts to limit climate change and develop the International Solar Alliance.  Both countries have agreed on a road map on cyber security and digital technology.