I - Foreign Affair India’s two complex bilateral relationships, i.e. New Delhi’s relations with Washington and Tehran, continues to be discussed by commentators in Indian print media. Iran is an attractive source of oil import for India, while Washington expects its allies not to do business with Tehran. Although the Trump administration has allowed a temporary exemption to a few countries, including India, on imports of crude oil from Iran, situation will change when the six months’ period comes to an end. The Trump administration has expressed its interest in increasing its oil exports to its allies, including to India. India is reported to have imported 15 million barrels of crude oil from the US until last July, compared to its total import of eight million barrels in 2017. This is in line with the Trump’s administration’s assertion that the US is the largest producer of fossil fuels, and that it is capable of increasing its exports to allies, thus making the need of imports from Iran irrelevant. According to analysts, New Delhi will have to walk the tightrope that is its bilateral relationships with Tehran and Washington, both strategically important for New Delhi. Given the complex dynamics of developments in West Asia and the Indian Ocean, New Delhi is said to be in a strong position to balance its relations with the US, Iran, China, Russia and the Gulf. One example of that, according to experts on Indian foreign policy, is the US agreeing to India to continue developing Chabahar port in Iran, which is important for developing the war-torn neighboring Afghanistan, and which enables India to bypass Pakistan and reach Central Asia.

Relations between India and Pakistan, another complex bilateral relationship, occupies the Centre stage in Indian print media ever since the inauguration of Kartarpur corridor. Experts on India-Pakistan relations have, by and large, welcomed the development and termed it a good opportunity for New Delhi to engage with Pakistan in a constructive dialogue process. However, New Delhi is found to be lacking in taking advantage of the opportunity as the Indian government is reported to have stated that the Kartarpur episode should be seen in isolation, and should not be attached too much importance vis-a-vis the overall bilateral relationship between the two South Asian neighbours. New Delhi has since reiterated its stated position that dialogue could be considered only after Pakistan stopped exporting terror. Indian foreign ministry is reported to have stated that despite Kartarpur, New Delhi is not going to participate in SAARC summit in Pakistan. Most diplomatic commentators have criticized New Delhi for once again having missed a precious opportunity for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan, after New Delhi first agreed in September this year, then retracted from a meeting on foreign ministers’ level on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.