"West Asia and the Region: Defining India's Role" edited by Rajendra M. Abhyankar (2009).
Book description (Source: Amazon):
Comprised of essays by a host of leading scholars, this comprehensive volume examines the issues that will most influence India’s development of a policy approach towards the states of West Asia. India’s relations with this region have historically been based on geographical proximity and cultural and religious affinity, but the significant role West Asia will play in fulfilling India’s burgeoning energy, trade, and economic needs is indisputable. Recent momentous developments in the region have the potential to impact India’s security and will influence the parameters within which Indian interests will locate themselves in the future. Topics ranging from the rise of Pan-Islamism to political transitions in countries such as Turkey and China are also addressed in this extensive study.Title: Amb. Rajendra Abhyankar talks on "Civil Wars in Syria and Iraq, ISIS and the ‘Caliphate’." Source: ORF Mumbai. Date Published: August 2, 2014. Description:
Ambassador Rajendra Abhyankar was India’s High Commissioner to Cyprus and Ambassador to Syria (1992-96), Turkey and Azerbaijan. He retired from the Indian Foreign Service in August 2005 after more than 36 years of multi-faceted diplomatic experience of people, places and issues. His talk at ORF Mumbai on 18 July 2014 focussed on the current situation in Syria and Iraq, the violence unleashed by the self-styled ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’ (ISIS) and the dramatic declaration of a ‘caliphate’ by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.The Asia Foundation:
Ambassador Rajendra Abhyankar was the Indian Secretary of External Affairs from 2001-2004 and has served as the Indian Ambassador to the EU, Belgium and Luxemburg, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, and Cyprus. He was also the Consul General of India in San Francisco, California. He currently serves as Advisor, The Asia Foundation India.The audio is a bit hard to hear in this video, but it's an interesting lecture by an experienced diplomat who is knowledgeable about Syria and Iraq.
