Expert says UN seat behind Modi's support for Pacific

Transcript

India's pledges to Pacific Island countries at a summit in the Indian city of Jaipur last week are aimed at procuring their support for a permanent seat on the UN security council.

That's the view from a South Asian politics and security expert Balaji Chandramohan.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered help from solar power to space technology as well as expanded trade and scholarships.

Balaji Chandramohan told Sally Round the summit with 14 Pacific Island countries is a game-changer for Indian foreign policy.

BALAJI CHANDRAMOHAN: I think (India)  wants to expand its reach of scientific diplomacy, and one such initiative is to take these Pacific Island countries on board.

SALLY ROUND: How could Pacific Island countries for instance, benefit from space stations somewhere in the Pacific?

BC: The problem that the Pacific Island countries are having is related to increased cyclones and they don't have enough facilities to make sure that they're in a position to get that kind of information from there. The second thing is that there (are) a lot of natural resources in those countries and those kinds of things are all being taken very seriously by the Indian government. I mean natural resources, mineral resources. So if there could be some sort of a space station, scientific resource stations in any one of those Pacific Island countries, which would be much more civilian in nature, not military,  that would be of great benefit for those Pacific Island countries too.

SR: Narendra Modi asked for the PacificIsland countries'  support for India's bid to attain permanent membership to the United Nations Security Council. Is  that what all these offers and this deeper engagement is really all about?

BC: Of course. I think that is exactly the high point of the whole thing. The fact of the matter is, 12 countries can work in support of India. One of the attractions for the Pacific Island countries (of)  India is that, India happens to be a democratic country. Many of these Pacific Island countries have benefited from the Third Wave of Democracy which happened from the 1970's to the 1980's so they naturally have a greater attraction towards India rather than towards China. And to an extent to having others - some of the Western Powers - which have not in a way helped them in their cause to address some of the issues such as climate change and so forth in the United Nations. So therefore, that mutual attraction is quite understandable. The Prime Minister happens to have styled himself as the one who's going to raise the issues of those Pacific Island countries to the highest table, such as at the United Nations. In return the Pacific Island countries will vote for India's formal membership for the United Nations Security  Council. One of the prestige points for India, is to have a position in the UNSC in a way that it can influence its relations with other countries, say for example with China and Pakistan. That has been the basic reason why Narendra Modi has used this Pacific Island Countries Forum to give a subtle message to the other countries, especially (those) among its immediate neighbours, that India is actually ready to look beyond them and not necessarily be swayed away by some of the smaller countries in South Asia - say for example, Pakistan or Bangladesh (pulling) strings on India.