The partnership opens doors to broaden the two sides’ people-to people relationship. [...] Having a sense of appreciation and understanding of each other’s culture and values can potentially broaden and deepen mutual understanding between states and peoples. In 2014, amidst tensions in the South China Sea, Vietnamese and Filipino naval personnel played football, volleyball, and tug-of-war. Both sides displayed the importance of camaraderie through sports diplomacy.

Even as the Narendra Modi government talks big about projecting India’s soft power, India’s main instrument for cultural diplomacy continues to wallow in severe fund crunch, forcing it to now open new cultural centres abroad only in collaboration with private organisations.

Instead of bringing together love-starved singles, the project would introduce strangers with shared interest in development, including for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, governments and international agencies.

Next month, Indonesia will be hosting the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference. According to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the commemoration aspires to remind the world that Indonesia played a significant role in the anti-colonial struggle. Amidst complex contemporary global politics, it will be a challenge for Jokowi to convince the world that this Asia-Africa gathering is necessary and relevant. 

Cooperation between the two nations was ramped up over a decade ago, but the Indian government preferred to keep a low profile, until now. An image published on Wednesday morning depicts an ongoing strategic development: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen visiting the Israel Aerospace Industries exhibit at the Aero India exhibition in Bangalore.

China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng wrapped up his visit to Vietnam here on Saturday, during which he agreed with the Vietnamese leaders to enhance mutual trust and properly settle maritime disputes through negotiations.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Brazil in July, the two leading emerging economies consolidated their booming partnership and signed more than 50 cooperation agreements in economic, cultural and political sectors.

In 2010, the European Union (EU) and Korea began a new era of engagement by establishing a strategic partnership, which intends to strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation in regional and global affairs. In this context, cooperation on international development appears to be a promising issue for the future agenda of the Korea- EU partnership.