[Tlc] FW: H-SEASIA: IRASEC / Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Initiative (Free EBook)

[Michael Montesano]

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From: H-Net Discussion List on History and Study of Southeast Asia [mailto:H-SEASIA at H-NET.MSU.EDU] On Behalf Of H-SEASIA Editor
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 2:58 PM
To: H-SEASIA at H-NET.MSU.EDU
Subject: H-SEASIA: IRASEC / Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Initiative (Free EBook)

Mekong-GANGA COOPERATION INITIATIVE
A analysis and Assessment of India's Engagement with Greater Mekong Sub-region By Swaran Singh

Irasec, Occasional Paper, n°3
2007, 72 pages
ISBN : 978-974-7552-18-8

It can be downloaded from on our websisite
http://www.irasec.com/fr/publications_detail.php?hId=82
:

>From October 2006, India holds the Chair of the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Initiative (MGCI). Cambodia and Thailand have held this position for three years each before India, and in that order. MGCI was launched on 10th November 2000 in Vientiane (Laos) and aims at rekindling the cultural links between India and the five riparian states of the Mekong River, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. It is from here that India seeks to strengthen connectivity through building the physical and social infrastructure in these countries. This includes roads, rails, air links and information and communication technologies as also education, culture, and imparting skills in development management and other technical areas. It is only with a robust engagement of this nature that MGCI may evolve a lasting socio-political and economic partnership with this region and take it further in enhancing India's military and strategic equations with these countries. India has taken scores of major initiatives under the MGCI and this newfound enthusiasm has also provided a boost to India's bilateral relations with each country. As this study shows, the results, however, remain a mixed bag and India needs to accelerate its footwork to implement its grand vision and to keep pace with other major stakeholders in this region. In particular, progress made by China has been far too rapid and this has put China in the lead and this remains a subject of debate both inside and outside the Mekong region.

The Author

Dr. Swaran Singh is Associate Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (New Delhi) and Academic Consultant at Centre de Sciences Humaines (New Delhi). He is currently President
(2005-2010) of the Association of Asia Scholars (AAS, New Delhi) for South Asia chapter. He lectures regularly at several military and academic institutions in India and abroad and has traveled to and written extensively on China and Southeast Asia with special interest in perspectives on India's interests, equations and priorities.

For your comments and clarifications the author can be reached at ssingh at mail.jnu.ac.in

Irasec
Based in Bangkok since 2001, the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC) is a member of the network of the research centers of the French Foreign Ministry. IRASEC is calling on specialists from all academic fields to study the important social, political, economical and environmental developments that affect, together or separately, the eleven countries of the region.

Contact
Arnaud Leveau, deputy-director, IRASEC
29, Sathorn Tai Road, Bangkok 10120 Thailand Tel : (66) 026 27 21 82 Email : publications at irasec.com www.irasec.com

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