Extraordinary And Plenipotentiary Diplomatist July 19 Edition . | Page 3

Publisher’s Note
“Riven with tensions, Europe is in for a stormy and
fractious autumn. Angela Merkel has the shakes. Emmanuel
Macron has the collywobbles. And still, Europe has no idea
who will be in charge as it contemplates a stormy autumn
strewn with political booby traps. In Britain, the Brexit
deadline of 31 October is the only date that matters. But
the EU, fragmented, disputatious and wounded to an extent
unusual even by its fractious standards, is taking one day at
a time,” writes Simon Tisdall - a columnist for The Guardian
newspaper.
The trade war between the United States and China has
been intensifying with Trump intimidating to raise tariff s
on all Chinese imports and declaring a national emergency
shutting Huawei out of the U.S. market. Experts say concerns
over relations between the United States and China are
causing ambiguity for several companies directly or indirectly
involved in trade between the world’s two largest economies.
France is all geared up for G7. The country took up its
Presidency in January 2019 with the key theme of combating
inequality. G7 Summit will bring together the Heads of State
and Government from the seven countries in Biarritz from
24 to 26 August 2019.
Now, what is the state of the BRICS economies? Brazil
has taken the rotating presidency of this group. For the third
time, Brazil will host a BRICS Summit which is scheduled
for November 13 and 14 in Brasilia. President Jair Bolsonaro
wants Brazil to be great as Trump wants America to be great.
Even during Bolsonaro’s campaign period, he reiterated that
his foreign policy would be changed from his precursor.
One cannot overlook the potential of the Quad. In late
2017, the resurgence of a notion over a decade old - the
Quadrilateral Security Dialogue - created a fl ood of debate
and anticipation across the world. The Quad, as it is usually
mentioned as - or, more specifi cally, Quad 2.0, as this is its
second life - is an informal rendezvous between four of the
world’s major democracies: the US, Japan, Australia and
India. Quad 2.0, like Quad 1.0, is a debatable yet signifi cant
idea that has survived the test of time. It’s controversial
because it’s perceived to be a way of containing China, which
makes it unpopular among many of those who believe that
China can’t be controlled.
In the African continent, Nigerian President Muhammadu
Buhari and Benin’s President Patrice Talon signed a landmark
agreement ahead of the accord’s offi cial launch at the African
Union (AU) summit in Niger. Moussa Faki, AU Commission
Chairman dubbed the African Continental Free Trade Area
(AfCFTA) deal a “historic” moment. There was spontaneous
appreciation as Africa’s largest economy Nigeria signed up
to a deal that experts say could provide far-reaching benefi ts.
Back home, the Indian Prime Minister returns to power,
his victory feels like déjà vu. Narendra Modi’s landslide
victory in India’s general election marks the fi rst time in
nearly 50 years that an Indian government has returned to
power with an absolute majority and a larger mandate for a
second consecutive term.
While the drama and sportsmanship of the Cricket World
Cup seized the world’s attention for several weeks, the battle
of 2019 continues. Globalisation has changed the international
business panorama; businesses now function in diff erent
nations, deal with multiple authorities, involve in negotiation
and face increasing geopolitical risks and pressure. Can
diplomacy benefi t business? The answer is yes.
I’m pleased to announce that in association with
ASSOCHAM – one of India’s oldest and apex chamber, a
new initiative titled “ASSOCHAM Diplomacy to Business
Initiative” will feature in The Diplomatist Magazine.
Robert Frost rightly said, “An idea is a feat of association.”
Readers will get the best of both worlds.
Linda Brady Hawke
Publisher
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 7 • July 2019, Noida • 3