NEW DELHI: America’s latest gambit of convening a meeting of national security advisers from three countries (India, Saudi Arabia and UAE) to counter China’s BRI reflects its growing loss of influence in the Arabian Gulf and the broader Arab world, says Talmiz Ahmad, former ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
The diplomat turned scholar who is well known for his study of Arab affairs, was on The Gist. He argues that recent developments in the region have taken place minus any US role. This includes Syria’s recent re-admission into the Arab League and the Riyadh-Tehran peace deal brokered by China.
The plan for railway links in the region seems rather late in the day given the decade long effort by key states to build rail connectivity. India’s presence in this meeting of NSAs suggests the US wants Delhi to play a key role in building the railway infrastructure, a natural fit given its vast railway network and engineering expertise. But when the region has made enormous strides in laying rail tracks, where does India figure?
