[International relations in the Middle East] Motivations, Paths and Limits of India's "Western Union" Policy towards the GCC Countries www.deekpay.com

## India's "Western Union" Policy: Opportunities and Challenges Introduction In recent years, India's relations with the GCC countries have developed rapidly, and the Modi government's "Western Union" policy has pushed cooperation between the two sides to a new level. India and the GCC countries have launched all-round cooperation in the fields of energy, economy and trade, security and humanities, and the relations between the two sides have shown a positive development. However, India's "Western Union" policy also faces many challenges, and its long-term effectiveness remains to be seen. Strategic Intentions and Achievements India's strategic intentions in implementing its "Western Union" policy towards the GCC countries are clear and include the following: Enhancing India's strategic position in the Indian Ocean region: The GCC countries are located in the northwestern part of the Indian Ocean, which is an important part of India's strategy of "expanding its neighbourhood". Ensure national energy security: GCC countries are India's largest source of oil and gas, and India is highly dependent on GCC energy. Promote economic development: GCC countries have huge sovereign wealth funds, India hopes to attract their investment to promote domestic economic transformation. Deepening security co-operation: India and the GCC countries are working closely to combat terrorism and maintain maritime security. Enhancing cultural influence: India is expanding its soft power in the region by promoting yoga culture and strengthening humanistic exchanges. India's "Western Union" policy has achieved certain results, mainly in the following aspects: Summit diplomacy has promoted the upgrading of the strategic partnership between the two sides: India has had frequent high-level interactions with the GCC countries, and has set up a number of co-operation mechanisms. Energy co-operation has become the basis of strategic co-operation between the two sides: co-operation between the two sides has extended from traditional oil and gas trade to strategic oil reserves, oil extraction, oil refining technology, green energy technology and other fields. Investment, trade and economic cooperation has pushed forward the economic reform and transformation of both sides: India has attracted investment from the sovereign wealth funds of the GCC countries, promoted trade liberalisation, and built food security corridors together. Defence and security cooperation provides an effective path for regional security governance: the two sides have been cooperating closely in combating terrorism, maintaining maritime security and information sharing. Humanitarian exchanges deepen the foundation of public opinion in India and the Sea: the two sides have cooperated closely in the promotion of yoga culture and cross-cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding. Challenges and Constraints However, India's "Western Union" policy also faces a number of challenges and constraints: The speculative nature of the "multi-directional alliance" strategy: India's ambiguous position on the Middle East issue and its complicated relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel are not conducive to the establishment of a multilateral mechanism based on mutual trust with the GCC countries. The narrowness of the "India First" principle: India's foreign policy is still centred on its own interests and lacks the will to play a greater role in regional and global affairs. Incompatibility between the role of a "leading power" and its actual capabilities: India lacks the comprehensive strength to become a "leading power", and its military, scientific and technological, and political-diplomatic capabilities have yet to be upgraded. The extremism of Hindu nationalist ideology: India's domestic "Islamophobia" has intensified, negatively affecting India-Sea relations. Limitations of India's role in the security and stability of the Gulf region: India's ability and willingness to participate in the security governance of the Gulf region are limited, and it has yet to become an important force for security and stability in the region. Conclusion India's "Western Union" policy is a strategic choice for India to enhance its international status. Under the impetus of the "Western Union" policy, India-Sea relations have made great progress. However, India's "Western Union" policy also faces many challenges, and its long-term effectiveness remains to be seen. In the future, India needs to overcome the narrowness of "India First", enhance its own comprehensive strength, and abandon the extremism of Hindu nationalism in order to play a greater role in the GCC region and realise its strategic goal of becoming a "leading power".