De-hyphenation is a form of foreign policy where a country keeps diplomatic ties with two or more countries with conflicting interests, without letting the conflicts prioritize one country over another. [2] The policy allows countries to hold independent relations with countries otherwise distrustful or hostile towards each other while treating each country as a single entity rather than as a part of a conflict with the other countries. [3]
The term de-hyphenation refers to "removing the hyphen that links two entities". In the context of foreign policy, it signifies the act of untangling or disentangling the relationships between two countries or regions that were previously considered together or linked in some way. By using the term "de-hyphenation," it emphasizes the need to treat each entity independently and distinctly, rather than as a combined or interconnected unit. The word effectively captures the concept of breaking apart the previously linked foreign policy approach to allow for more tailored and individualized strategies towards each entity. [4]
In 2014, the then newly elected Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, instituted the de-hyphenation policy towards Israel. The aim behind the policy was to form diplomatic ties with Israel independent from the diplomatic ties India shall have with Palestine. [6]
On 15 January 2018, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited New Delhi to sign agreements on cooperation in the areas of cyber-defence, security and science. [7] The visit took place one month after India had voted in favor of a resolution brought by Turkey and Yemen in the United Nations to oppose a decision made by the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision that was strongly against Palestinian interests. [8] Addressing the resolution, Netanyahu stated, "I don't think one vote affects the general trend and you can see it in many other votes that we have had here. Naturally, I'm disappointed but I think this visit is a testament to the fact that [India and Israel's] relationship is moving forward on so many fronts." [9]
Later, in the beginning of February 2018, Modi became the first Prime Minister of India to visit Palestine. On visiting Ramallah stating, "[The] Friendship between India and Palestine has stood the test of time. The people of Palestine have shown remarkable courage in the face of several challenges. India will always support Palestine's development." [10] In the same visit, the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, granted Modi the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest honor for a foreign dignitary in the nation. [11] [12]
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India has maintained a diplomatically neutral stance on the issue, [13] providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine at a time of the crisis, [14] while also abstaining to vote in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1, a resolution condemning Russia over the invasion, demanding a complete withdrawal of the Russian troops from Ukraine and reversing the declaration of Luhansk and Donetsk republics. [15]
On 20 March 2024, Modi spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on strengthening the ties between India and Ukraine and to reiterate India's position on diplomacy and dialogue being the only means to end the war in Ukraine. The same day, Modi also contacted the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential elections that took place on 17 March. [16]
On 28 March, the Foreign Minister of India, Subramaniam Jaishankar met his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba in New Delhi to discuss India's role in helping to end the invasion. India has traditionally been an ally of Russia, which prompted Ukraine to approach India to mediate between the west and Russia. [17] The meeting was also conducted to restore the level of cooperation between the two sides that existed before the invasion took place. [18]
Narendra Damodardas Modi is an Indian politician who has served as Prime Minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the member of parliament (MP) for Varanasi. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer organisation. He is the longest-serving prime minister outside the Indian National Congress.
Since the 1990s, the Republic of India and the State of Israel have had a comprehensive economic, military, and political relationship. In 1947, India voted against the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, but nonetheless recognized Israeli sovereignty in 1950. Israel opened a consulate in Bombay in 1953. Collaboration gradually increased as Israel became a key Indian ally amidst the India–Pakistan conflict; Israel supplied India with armaments, ammunition, and intelligence during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1999. Full diplomatic relations were established in 1992, when India opened an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel opened an embassy in New Delhi. Both countries are members of the I2U2 Group, formed in October 2021, and have stated that they have a strong bilateral relationship, sharing similarities in spirit and facing common challenges, increasingly cooperating in the industrial and technological sectors.
The Republic of India recognised Ukraine as a sovereign country in December 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and established diplomatic relations in January 1992. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv was opened in May 1992 and Ukraine opened its Mission in New Delhi in February 1993. The Consulate General of India in Odesa functioned from 1962 until its closure in March 1999.
The State of Israel is represented in the Russian Federation through an embassy in Moscow and a consulate-general in Saint Petersburg. Russia is represented in Israel through an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate in Haifa. Russia is a member of the Quartet on the Middle East. For many years, Israel was a haven for Russian Jews. This was especially the case during the aliyah from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1990s. Israel and the Soviet Union, Russia's predecessor state, were on opposing sides during the Cold War. However, the relationship between Israel and Russia has improved significantly since the early 2000s, with the election of the more pro-Israel Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and the election of the more pro-Russia Israeli leader Ariel Sharon. Putin has had a close relationship with long-serving Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The bilateral relations between the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and the Republic of India have been traditionally close and both countries share a "special relationship", making Bhutan a protected state, but not a protectorate, of India. India remains influential over Bhutan's foreign policy, defence and commerce. Bhutan is the largest beneficiary of India's foreign aid.
India–Palestine relations, also known as Indian-Palestinian relations or Indo-Palestinian relations, are the bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the State of Palestine. These relations have been largely influenced by the independence struggle against British colonialism. India recognized Palestine's statehood following the Palestinian declaration of independence on 18 November 1988; although relations between India and the Palestine Liberation Organization were first established in 1974.
Israel–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Israel and Ukraine. Both countries recognized each other on 11 May 1949 as the Ukrainian SSR and established de jure diplomatic relations on 26 December 1991 when Ukraine became independent. Israel has an embassy in Kyiv. Ukraine has an embassy in Tel Aviv and a consulate-general in Haifa. There are 30,000 Ukrainians settled in Israel, while Ukraine has one of Europe's largest Jewish communities. Ukraine was also the first state outside of Israel to have had both a Jewish president and prime minister simultaneously.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, better known as S. Jaishankar, is an Indian diplomat, politician and author, who is serving as the 30th Minister of External Affairs of the Government of India since 31 May 2019. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and has been a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since 5 July 2019. He previously served as the Foreign Secretary from January 2015 to January 2018.
The foreign policy of the Modi government, also referred to as the Modi doctrine is associated with the policy initiatives made towards other states by the current government of India after Narendra Modi assumed the office of prime minister on May 26, 2014.
The most significant initiative made by the Narendra Modi government is the focus on neighbouring countries and major Asian powers coupled with emphasizing on the two decades old Look East policy. Asia being the major focus area of his foreign policy, Modi and his foreign minister chose several Asian countries for their initial bilateral visits. He has made state visits to Bhutan and Nepal and Japan within the first 100 days of his government and also hosted Asian leaders like former Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia, President Xi Jinping of China and Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng of Vietnam, apart from inviting SAARC leaders in his inauguration ceremony. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has also made official visits to several Asian capitals like Dhaka, Bangladesh, Kathmandu, Nepal, Naypidaw, Myanmar, Singapore, Hanoi, Vietnam, Manama, Bahrain, Kabul, Afghanistan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Malé, Maldives, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Seoul, South Korea and Beijing China.
Narendra Modi, who is serving the Prime minister of India since 2014. The following is a timeline of the premiership from his inauguration as Prime Minister of India on 26 May 2014 till now.
The Middle East region plays a vital role in India's economy as it supplies nearly two-thirds of India's total oil import, bilateral trade is also flourishing in recent years particularly with UAE and other Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Over the years, millions of Indians mostly working class have migrated to the Persian Gulf region looking for jobs and they account for a sizeable share in the total remittances received from abroad. Indian External Affairs Ministry refers the region as West Asia and not as Middle East which is a more popular attribution, particularly in the Western countries.
The Neighbourhood First policy of India is a core component of India's foreign policy. It focuses on peaceful relations and collaborative, synergetic co-development with its South Asian neighbours of the Indian subcontinent encompassing a diverse range of topics, such as economics, technology, research, education, connectivity, the space program, defence security, and addressing environment and climate challenge. This policy creates new avenues while leveraging to the existing regional cooperation initiatives such as SAARC, SASEC, BBIN, and BIMSTEC. It complements India's Look East policy focused on Southeast Asia and Look West Policy focused on Middle East.
India–Qatar relations refers to the bilateral ties between India and Qatar. India maintains an embassy in Doha, while Qatar maintains an embassy in New Delhi and a consulate in Mumbai.
Indians in Israel consist of those who identify as Jewish and those who identify as other categories of Indian. In 2023 there were approximately 85,000 Jews of Indian origin, while around 18,000 to 20,000 Indian nationals are employed in Israel.
Palestine–Ukraine relations are bilateral relations between the State of Palestine and Ukraine. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic recognized Palestinian independence on 19 November 1988. Palestine recognized Ukraine as a sovereign state in February 1992. On 2 November 2001, the two countries established diplomatic relations and the Palestinian embassy opened the same day. Ukraine has supported UN resolutions against Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.But they are not on the best terms in the current global climate.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Indian-Russian economic and diplomatic ties saw significant growth, occurring in contrast to Western condemnation of and sanctions on Russia and unilateral support for Ukraine with humanitarian and military aid. India's circumvention of Western sanctions to purchase heavily discounted Russian oil and fertilizer, its supply of dual-use technology to Russia, and its repeated abstentions from condemning Russia's invasion negatively impacted Ukrainian ties to India, and complicated Western diplomatic interactions with India.