Topic Of The Day:-“Mixed Optics: Saudi Crown Prince’s India Visit”
The Saudi Crown Prince’s visit highlighted the complexities in bilateral ties
As a standalone visit, the day-long trip of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud (MBS) to New Delhi will be regarded as a diplomatic success, given the numerous outcomes. After talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two sides announced measures to upgrade the defence partnership, create a “Strategic Partnership Council” to coordinate on security issues, and institute regular talks between the two national security advisers to discuss counter-terrorism, intelligence-sharing and maritime security. Saudi Arabia has also expressed its interest in investing in infrastructure projects worth about $26 billion. This is beyond its already committed investments in India of $44 billion for the existing joint venture with the public sector oil undertakings and public fund investments of $10 billion. The language on terrorism in the joint statement was something of a dampener for those who would have hoped there would be strongercondemnation of the terror attack in Pulwama. But it was significant that the Saudi government agreed to insert an extra clause calling on states to renounce the “use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy”. It also acknowledged that disputes between India and Pakistan must be resolved bilaterally. At the leadership level, Mr. Modi extended more than a personal touch to the visit by going to the airport andembracing the Crown Prince on landing. The prince repaid the compliment, agreeing to increase Haj quotas and release 850 Indians from Saudi jails after a plea from Mr. Modi.
These announcements and gestures would have been far more significant had it not been for the fact that MBS’s trip came on the heels of his visit to Pakistan just after the Pulwama attack. As a result, his India visit is being measured against the statements made during his Pakistan visit, where he praised Islamabad for its fight against terrorism.He also announced $20 billion worth of investments, in addition to previously announced aid of $6 billion in cash and reserves. While such comparisons may be unwarranted, the visit to Delhi would have benefited in terms of optics if it hadn’t been preceded so closely by the one to Islamabad. The Modi government also overplayed its expectations from the visit by billing it as part of a diplomaticoffensive aimed at ‘isolating’ Pakistan in order to hold it to account for Pulwama. India and Saudi Arabia have steadily built bilateral relations and taken great care over the past two decades to ‘de-hyphenate’ them from ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. India-Saudi Arabia ties were strengthened into a strategic partnership announced in 2010 in the Riyadh Declaration when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paid a visit, and were bolstered by King Salman’s visit in February 2014 and Mr. Modi’s 2016 trip to Saudi Arabia. Point-scoring with Pakistan, or attempting to compare the outcomes of the two visits, now onlyundermines the carefully built compact between New Delhi and Riyadh.
MEANINGS AND WORDS:-
1) diplomatic
Meaning: of or concerning diplomacy(adj).
Synonyms: gracious
Antonyms: impolite
Example: “diplomatic relations with Britain were broken”
2) venture
Meaning: a risky or daring journey or undertaking(n).
Synonyms: endeavor
Antonyms: idleness
Example: “pioneering ventures into little-known waters”
3) dampener
Meaning: a thing that has a restraining or subduing effect(n).
Synonyms: moaner
Antonyms: arouser
Example: “television and booze, those twin dampeners of the revolutionary spirit”
4) condemnation
Meaning: the expression of very strong disapproval; censure(n).
Synonyms: censure
Antonyms: approval
Example: “there was strong international condemnation of the attack”
5) renounce
Meaning: formally declare one’s abandonment of (a claim, right, or possession)(v).
Synonyms: deny
Antonyms: admit
Example: “Isabella offered to renounce her son’s claim to the French Crown”
6) disputes
Meaning: a disagreement or argument(n).
Synonyms: conflict
Antonyms: agreement
Example: “a territorial dispute between the two countries”
7) resolved
Meaning: firmly determined to do something.
Synonyms: settle
Antonyms: begin
Example:”Constance was resolved not to cry”
8) embracing
Meaning: hold (someone) closely in one’s arms, especially as a sign of affection(v).
Synonyms: grasp
Antonyms: give
Example: “Aunt Sophie embraced her warmly”
9) gestures
Meaning: a movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning(n).
Synonyms: expression
Antonyms: speech
Example: “Alex made a gesture of apology”
10) heels
Meaning: fit or renew a heel on (a shoe or boot)(v).
Synonyms: attend
Example: “they were soling and heeling heavy working boots”
11) offensive
Meaning: causing someone to feel resentful, upset, or annoyed(adj).
Synonyms: annoying
Antonyms: agreeable
Example: “the allegations made are deeply offensive to us”
12) undermines
Meaning: erode the base or foundation of (a rock formation)(v).
Synonyms: blunt
Antonyms: aid
Example: “the flow of water had undermined pillars supporting the roof”
13) discrimination
Meaning: recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another(n).
Synonyms: intolerance
Antonyms: equity
Example: “discrimination between right and wrong”
14) collateral
Meaning: something pledged as security for repayment of a loan, to be forfeited in the event of a default(n).
Synonyms: ancillary
Antonyms: different
Example: “she put her house up as collateral for the bank loan”
15) declared
Meaning: openly or formally asserted or announced(adj).
Synonyms: affirmed
Example: “despite the company’s declared good intentions, some remained sceptical”
16) negotiations
Meaning: discussion aimed at reaching an agreement(n).
Synonyms: arbitration
Antonyms: disagreement
Example: “a worldwide ban is currently under negotiation“
17) compact
Meaning: closely and neatly packed together; dense(adj).
Synonyms: solid
Antonyms: empty
Example: “a compact cluster of houses”
18) bilateral
Meaning: having or relating to two sides; affecting both sides(adj).
Synonyms: mutual
Antonyms: multilateral
Example : “bilateral hearing is essential for sound location”