EADI WSE (European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes Warsaw School of Economics)

Transcription

1 EADI WSE (European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes Warsaw School of Economics) The EU India: The problems of strategic partnership and its significance for transformations in the world system Warsaw, SGH/EADI International Workshop Report August 2007, Warsaw

2 Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary/Abstract 2. Workshop Program 3. Workshop Sessions 30th May 4. Workshop Sessions 1st June 5. Picture Gallery 6. Conclusions

3 1. Executive Summary/Abstract Warsaw School of Economics together with European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes held its 1st International Workshop in Warsaw from 30 May till 1 June The meeting was hosted by Prof. Katarzyna Żukrowska and the staff of the International Security Department, Warsaw School of Economics (SGH). The main idea of the meeting was to discuss the issues connected to the topic: The EU India: The problems of strategic partnership and its significance for transformations in the world system. The original intention was to held this meeting rather in a small circle of researchers in order to stimulate the discussion and give each and every one the possibility to present their paper. The workshop was attended by junior and senior scholars representatives of universities from Poland, India, France as well as representatives of diplomatic circles of Poland and India. The main goal of this meeting was to discuss following issues: possible fields of cooperation, important for further development of the EUIndia Strategic Partnership; the long-term social-economic and institutional trends in the EU and India as well as accomplishments, vulnerabilities, and obstacles to successful development of both partners; chances and opportunities of the EU and/or India for the global leadership in the 21st century; directions and fields of collaboration between the EU and India: trade, investments, R&D, culture, humanities, political sphere, etc.; social actors of collaboration, their interests, motives and advantages; EUIndian relations and the other global players (the US, China, Japan, Russia): allies or countervailing forces?

4 2. Workshop Programme May 31, session 1., room 152 G (main building of WSE, first floor) Chairperson Katarzyna Żukrowska, WSE, the member of the Executive Committee of EADI Prof. Piotr Płoszajski, Vice-rector of WSE- opening speech Prof. Katarzyna Żukrowska an introductory speech RajKishor Singh, Defence and Strategic Studies Department, University of Agra (UP). EU-Indian Relations in the 21-st Century: An Analysis Coffee-break Rajendra K. Jain, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, guestprofessor of Leipzig University. The India-EU Strategic Partnership Discussion Lunch Professor s Club JAJKO (main building of WSE) May 31, session 2., room 152 G (main building of WSE, first floor) Chairperson RajKishor Singh Aleksandra Galek, Warsaw School of Economics. India s New Economic Diplomacy. Recasting of India s External Relations Discussion Dinner at the Senator Restaurant (the Old Town, Szeroki Dunaj Street 1/3) June 1, session 3., room 151 G (main building of WSE, first floor)

5 Chairperson Rajendra K. Jain Ambassador of India to Poland, Anil Wadhwa EU- India strategic perspective a diplomatic perspective Prof. Katarzyna Żukrowska (WSE) The question of Services in IndiaEU strategic partnership Krzysztof Dębnicki (Foreign Ministry of Poland) Polish- Indian political and economic relations Coffee break June 1, session 4., room 151 G (main building of WSE, first floor) Barbara Despiney, ROSES/ Université Paris-1. Changing Partnership: Eastern Europe and India Beata Jagiełło, WSE. India s position and politics towards conflicts in Asian Muslim countries (Afghanistan, Iraq) Lunch at the Professor s Club JAJKO Discussion Dinner at the Pod Gigantami Restaurant (Al. Ujazdowskie 24)

6 3. Workshop Sessions 30th May During the first day, there were four main presentations held and number of questions and comments after them. Prof. Żukrowska in her introductory speech has asked participants several general but crucial questions concerning the relations between the EU and India: What is known in India about the EU? What is a role of the EU in India s development? Can India profit from the EU-strategic partnership? How? In what areas? Can India play a specific role in the region? What is/can be a role of Poland in shaping the EU-India strategic partnership? Each of the three presentations given by Prof. Singh, Prof. Jain and Ph.D. student Aleksandra Galek tried to answer some of the questions raised and point at new issues for further consideration and research. Prof. Singh analyzed the trade and investment cooperation between India and the EU. He showed that although the value of imports, exports and foreign direct investments is increasing, it is overall still below its potential. The second presentation, made by Prof. Jain was a deeper analysis of the strategic partnership introduced in In his opinion, once you analyze the prospects of future relations between two entities, you have to consider at least some of issues like: a lack of coherent definition of what exactly is strategic partnership with the EU; difficult and complex nature of political dialogue within EU-27; mismatch of interests between the EU and India concerning terrorism; the major role played by China in the European policy towards Asia and India s obsession with the US. Considering the above mentioned facts, the cooperation

7 between India and the EU will concentrate firstly more on soft security issues and particularly strengthening economic cooperation than on the hard security problems. It will be interesting to follow the process of negotiations and final implementation of the comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the EU. Aleksandra Galek in her presentation described the recent changes in the diplomatic practices of India and the EU which may have crucial impact on the future FTA. The process of economization of diplomacy, although not a new phenomenon, attracted so far not so much attention. If India and the EU are to deepen their economic cooperation, they will both need to dedicate more efforts in order to stimulate all their diplomats public, commercial, business, NGOs to coherent upgrading the Indo-European relations. The discussion which took place between and after the presentation concerned more problems related to the strategic partnership. The workshop participants discussed inter alias the possibilities of the future Union between India and the EU, energy cooperation in South Asia, Poland s experience in development and lessons which India can learn from that process.

8 4. Workshop Sessions 1st June The second day of the workshop brought further interesting presentations of the panelists and interesting and fruitful discussion between all the participants. Firstly, Prof. Katarzyna Żukrowska introduced everybody to the more and more important element shaping the relations between the EU and India one where India s advantage is well recognized in the world and still increasing - services. Prof. Żukrowska compared the strategy of services development in India, China and Poland and pointed at those characteristics of India s strategy which decide of their global success as services exporter. Further liberalization and institutional building have to kept in mind by India s policy makers when assuring future development of India. Ambassador Anil Wadhwa in his interesting and comprehensive presentation adhering to historical background tackled the problems of India and the EU relations from the diplomatic perspective. Beside the information on different projects which are implemented - Network for Renewable Energy Research- RENET, ICT for Cross Cultural Dissemination, Cross Cultural Logistic Network, Open Cultures, Cultural Transfer Between India And Germany, Austria, India News in Europe Programme, e-safety Cooperation, Ambassador Wadhwa shared with the workshop s participants some of his experiences during his stay in Poland. A kind of continuation of diplomatic atmosphere was a presentation made by Krzysztof Dębnicki a representative of Polish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He showed us how the bilateral relations between Poland and India developed from the time just after

9 the end of the 2nd World War up today. Despite some of obsolete clichés which still exist in the relations between two countries, the governments are more and more devoted to use professional tools of modern diplomacy in order to fight with such clichés and establish better relations. Barbara Despiney has also put more emphasis on historical developments in the relations between India and the whole Central and Eastern Europe. Apart from China and USA mentioned in the previous presentations, she added another puzzle to the system Russia with its importance for further policy shaping in Asia. Finally, Beata Jagiełło from WSE even further increased the group of countries from the India s neighbourhood and brought to the discussion the security problems of the Middle East and South Asia and the situation in the countries like Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

10 7. Picture Gallery

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17 8. Conclusions The international workshop The EU India: The problems of strategic partnership and its significance for transformations in the world system was a forum where junior and senior scholars attempted to discuss a comprehensive project of EU - India strategic partnership. This project requires a complex and multidimensional analysis of resources, capacities and opportunities for its adequate assessment and implementation and the workshop could bring only a small input to this analysis. However, even such an attempt is important for bringing more understanding between the two sides and developing more interests in the topic.